Kalulu 2 Credit Group

In Rumphi, the Kalulu 2 Group is a resilient network of female entrepreneurs running small grocery based businesses to support their households. The group consists of married and separated members who are all engaged in trading essential household commodities. Together, they care for twenty-three dependents and continue to uplift one another through shared effort, discipline, and group solidarity.

Ethel is a fifty-four year old married woman whose husband works as a teacher. She is a mother of five children and has been managing a grocery business for the past thirteen years. Her shop supplies essential household items to her community, and generates income for her to support her family's daily needs.

She started her business with the purpose of achieving financial stability for her household and ensuring that basic needs were always met. Over the years, her grocery business has become a reliable source of income, at times supported by assistance from one family helper.

Ethel is now focused on growing her business further so that she can increase her stock levels, improve her profits, and eventually diversify into another income-generating activity. Her long-term vision is to expand her entrepreneurial efforts and create stronger financial security for her family.

The Microloan Foundation, Lendwithcare's local partner in Malawi 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 Malawi 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.