Mtunthamala 1 group

The Mtunthumala Group 1 is a committed group of married entrepreneurs from Ntchisi, Malawi, who are working together to improve their livelihoods and provide for their families. Collectively, the members support 16 children through a range of small businesses, including selling vegetables, fish, tomatoes and snacks, farming, running restaurants and grocery stores, and keeping livestock. Their different enterprises provide valuable income while the group encourages members to pursue their goals together.

Among the hardworking members is Loreen, a 32-year-old woman, married and a mother of six children. She has been running her snack-selling business for four years, having started the enterprise to earn an income that would help her provide for her family's basic needs and contribute towards reducing poverty. Loreen runs the business with the assistance of one family member, making it a shared household effort.

With four years of experience behind her, Loreen is now looking to strengthen her business and improve the income it generates. She is requesting this loan to increase her business capital, allowing her to purchase more stock and expand her snack-selling activities. Her goal is to buy a motorbike, which she hopes will help her improve her mobility and create greater opportunities for her business and family.

The loan will be shared among members of Mtunthumala Group 1 to strengthen the different enterprises that support their households. Members will use the funds to buy stock and inputs for selling vegetables, fish, tomatoes, and snacks, while others will invest in farming, restaurants, grocery stores, 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.