Bwezani 0603 Group

The Bwezani 0603 Group is made up of four determined women entrepreneurs from Zambia's Southern Province. With an average age of 45, the group includes one single member and three married members. Together, they support 30 dependents and operate a variety of businesses, including grocery shops, restaurants, foodstuff trading and fish trading.

Through their enterprises, the women are working towards greater financial independence, stronger businesses and improved living conditions for the families who rely on them.

Eness, aged 50, is a single mother of three children who also cares for three orphans. Providing for six children is a significant responsibility, and she works hard to ensure they have access to food, clothing, education and healthcare. Her determination to create a stable future for her family has been a driving force behind her entrepreneurial efforts.

For the past 10 years, Eness has operated a salon in her community, offering hairdressing and beauty services to a loyal customer base. Through consistent service, experience and dedication, she has built a business that provides an important source of income for her household and helps her meet the needs of the children under her care.

Eness previously benefited from a loan, which she invested in her salon. The additional capital helped strengthen the business and contributed towards household expenses, school costs and healthcare needs. Encouraged by these results, she is now seeking further support to continue developing the enterprise.

With her share of the loan, Eness plans to purchase additional salon products, supplies and equipment. By increasing the availability of stock and improving the resources available in her salon, she hopes to enhance service quality, attract more customers and meet growing demand more effectively.

The other members of the Bwezani 0603 Group will also use their loan shares to purchase additional stock and invest in their respective businesses. Through these investments, the women aim to strengthen their enterprises, increase household incomes and continue supporting the many dependents who rely on them.

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.