Mwalede 0909

The Mwalede 0909 group consists of four women who rely on small, everyday businesses to support their households. They live in Sinazeze in the Southern Province and together support 22 dependants. The group provides a space where members share advice, encourage one another, and support each other through challenges. Being part of the group has helped the women stay motivated and focused as they work toward more stable livelihoods.

Alice is a member of the group, and she runs a small grocery store in her community, supplying families with essential food items and basic household goods. Her shop is a convenient stop for neighbours who prefer to buy their daily needs close to home. The grocery store is Alice’s main source of income and plays an important role in supporting her household.

She started the business to earn a steady income and better manage everyday expenses. The earnings from the shop help her buy food, cover household costs, and meet her family’s daily needs. With the support of this loan, Alice plans to increase the stock in her grocery. The other members of the group also plan to use their loans to buy additional stock for their own small businesses.

The Microloan Foundation, Lendwithcare's local partner in Zambia, employs a unique 'centre' model for lending to female entrepreneurs. A centre comprises several sub-groups which share the same name as the centre. As such, you may have seen similarly named group loans from Zambia all belonging to the same centre. In this system, each woman is individually responsible for repaying her loan, but the group offers mutual support by assuming overall responsibility together.