Twatasha 0606 Group

The Twatasha 0606 Group is made up of five hardworking women from Zambia who are working to improve their families' livelihoods through small business activities. The members range in age from 34 to 46 and collectively support 49 dependants, including five orphans. Their businesses include goat trading, second-hand clothing sales, dry-fish trading and potato sales, helping them provide food, education and other essential needs for their households.

Deborah is a 39-year-old married mother of five children who also cares for an orphan. Before entering business, she was a housewife who relied largely on her household's income to meet her family's needs. Determined to improve their living conditions, she began selling dry fish and has successfully operated the business for the past 18 years.

Over the years, Deborah has built a loyal customer base and gained valuable experience in the dry-fish trade. Her business provides an important source of income, helping her contribute towards food, school fees and other household expenses. She is committed to creating a more secure future for the children in her care and continues to work hard to strengthen her enterprise.

As a member of the Twatasha 0606 Group, Deborah plans to use her share of the group loan to purchase larger quantities of dry fish and increase her stock levels. By expanding her inventory, she hopes to serve more customers, increase sales and improve her income.

The other members of the group will also use their loan shares to purchase additional stock for their businesses. Through these investments, the women aim to strengthen their enterprises, increase household incomes and continue providing for their families and dependants.

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.