Care Group Tuzamurane 1037

Loan description:

Care Group Tuzamurane 1037 which translates as “Let’s help each other” was established in 2013 with the help of CARE as a Voluntary Savings and Loans Association, or VSLA. The group has 30 members and is made up of 7 men and 23 women. Marie Claire NYIRAHABIMANA is one of the group members. When she joined the group, herself and her husband were working for others but now they grow their own potatoes and sells them to a collection centre, which takes them to a bigger market in Mahoko. Another good quantity of potatoes is sold on at retail to individuals. They can sell more than 100 kilos of potatoes. One kilo of potatoes cost 350 Rwf. Each of the group members carries out small income generating activities and they are sure that they will pay back the loan. These groups are formed by communities that begin by pooling members’ savings and using these savings to make loans to individual members. Since coming together, the group has been able to save small amounts to help each other out during lean months. However, they would like to grow their small income generating activities so they have applied for a loan as their savings are not enough. This is not their first loan, they have successfully paid back one other loan which was given to them. They will use this loan to buy more potato seeds and farming inputs to help increase their yields.