Chobisika 1 Ntcheu Group

Chobisika 1 Group is a hardworking group of entrepreneurs from Ntcheu, Malawi, who are using their businesses to support their families and create better opportunities for the future. All the members are married and together care for 16 children. Their income-generating activities include selling vegetables, fish, tomatoes and snacks, farming, running grocery shops and trading livestock.

Chipiliro is a 34-year-old married mother of five and a member of Chobisika 1 Group. For the past 12 years, she has been running a hardware store, which she started to help her family meet basic needs and reduce poverty.

She plans to use her share of the loan as additional capital for the business. By increasing her investment, Chipiliro hopes to buy more hardware items and improve the level of stock available to her customers. Her business is also supported by three family members, making it an important source of activity and income within the household. After more than a decade in business, Chipiliro is focused on taking her hardware store to the next level. Her main goal is to boost the business by increasing its stock, allowing her to meet customer demand and generate more income.

Chobisika 1 Group is seeking loan finance to provide capital for the various businesses operated by its members. The funds will support activities such as selling vegetables, fish, tomatoes and snacks, farming, grocery businesses and livestock.

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.