Buchi 0910 Group

Buchi 0910 is a group of five married women entrepreneurs in Southern Province, Zambia. Together, they care for 37 children, including four orphans. The women earn their living through fish and goat trading, using their businesses to support the children who depend on them. The members share a goal of improving their livelihoods and creating a more secure future for their families. Through Buchi 0910, they encourage one another as they work to grow their businesses and meet their households’ needs.

Ireen is 37 years old and married to a businessman. She has four children and cares for an orphan. Providing for her five children is an important part of her daily life, and she works hard to contribute to their food, education and other needs.

For the past 10 years, Ireen has earned an income by selling kapenta, a small, dried fish commonly used in household meals. Her experience has helped her understand what her customers need and manage the stock she buys for resale. She has continued to run her business while meeting her responsibilities at home. From her previous loan she was able to order more stock which improved her working capital.

Ireen will use her share of the loan to purchase a larger quantity of kapenta small fish. With more stock, she hopes to serve customers consistently and avoid missing sales when her supply runs low. Other members intend to order more goods from their loan share.

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.