Madalo 2 Group

Madalo 2 Group is a motivated group of small-scale entrepreneurs based in Balaka who are committed to improving their livelihoods through daily trading activities. The members are engaged in selling fish and snacks, and running a small grocery store that serves their local community. The group is made up of three married members and two divorced members, and together they are responsible for 16 children, reflecting their shared determination to provide for their families despite economic challenges.

Annie is a 19-year-old entrepreneur and an active member of Madalo 2 Group. She is divorced and the mother of three children. Despite her young age, Annie has already established herself in the fish-selling business, which she started two years ago to support herself and ensure her children’s basic needs are met. Through dedication and consistency, Annie has managed to build a small but steady customer base in her community. She currently operates without any employees, handling all aspects of the business on her own. Her dream is to grow her enterprise significantly, improve her income, and eventually purchase a motorbike that will help her expand her reach and delivery capacity.

Annie will use her share of the group loan to purchase more stock of fish, enabling her to increase sales volume and stabilise her income. This support will help her improve her household’s financial situation while working toward her long-term goal of business expansion.

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.