Madalo 4 Group

Madalo 4 Group is a resilient community of entrepreneurs based in Balaka who are working together to uplift their families through small but growing businesses. The members are involved in selling fish, snacks, rice and vegetables, ensuring a steady flow of daily income. The group consists of four married members and one divorced member, and together they are responsible for 16 children, highlighting their strong commitment to family support and survival.

Ellah is a 42-year-old married entrepreneur and an active member of Madalo 4 Group. She is a devoted mother of four children and has been running a small snack business for the past seven years. Ellah started her business with the aim of supporting her husband in providing for their household and easing the financial pressure on the family. Over the years, she has built a consistent customer base, selling snacks that are in high demand within her community.

Although she currently operates without any employees, Ellah manages her business with dedication and discipline. She dreams of expanding her venture, improving her earnings and, one day, building a permanent house for her family. She will use her part of the loan to buy more snacks and flour for resale, helping her maintain steady production and increase sales.

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.