Chimwemwe 0106 Group

The five entrepreneur that are in Chimwemwe 0106 are found in Chipata. The women have been running their small income generating activities such as selling clothes, arts and crafts and mobile money booths. These small income generating activities are helping the women shift from having the minimum to being able to provide food and other necessities plus provide education for their children to have a better future when they grow up.

These members share the joy of being financially independent by employing other women in their community. Their profits have also enabled the women to give their forty children a better life. To restock their small businesses the members of this group is requesting a loan to invest in their individual income generating activities.

Tizibenji is the focused entrepreneur in this group. She is twenty-nine years old and a significant member of the group. Her dedication to group activities speaks volume about her character. Tizibenji started her small business selling African fabric locally known as vitenges three years ago. In bid to achieve financial independence as a woman, Tizibenji received a loan that she used as capital to start up her income generating activity. She states that her biggest support has been her husband and their four children. Tizibenji is proud of her investment.

The Microloan Foundation in Zambia lend to female entrepreneurs using the ‘centre’ model. A centre is typically made up of 3-4 sub-groups and these sub-groups almost always have five members. Each centre has its own name and the sub-groups within the centre share the same name. Each person within the group of five women is responsible for repaying her loan but the members support each other and if a member is unable to repay her loan on time, then the group assumes responsibility for repayment. Loan officers provide training to the groups, although it is expected that centre leaders will eventually assume responsibility for providing some of the basic training.