Mbaya 0604 Group

In the Southern Province, a collective of women entrepreneurs called Mbaya 0604 has come together with a mission to secure financial freedom while improving the living conditions for the 45 children they care for. The members, who are all married and have an average age of 43. They operate diverse businesses, including goat trading, grocery shops, scrap metal and fish trading.

At 59, Nelia is a testament to the idea that it is never too late to reinvent one's path. For years, she was a dedicated market gardener, working the soil to provide, with her husband a fellow farmer, for their six children. While the garden offered sustenance, Nelia saw an opportunity to scale her ambitions and transition into the dynamic world of goat trading.

Nelia recognised that while gardening provided stability, the livestock market offered a higher potential for growth and financial independence. She pivoted her focus, applying the same discipline she used in the fields to the management of her goat business. Today, she navigates the local markets with the confidence of a seasoned entrepreneur, balancing the demands of a large household with the strategic needs of her enterprise.

To take her business to the next level, Nelia has applied for a share of this loan to increase her herd and improve the logistics of transporting her goats to more profitable markets, while other group members intend to order more goods from their loan share.

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.