kiva update.

This week I received updates on 2 of the 3 businesses I have given loans to in Africa. After another lonely week in Chicago it feels so good knowing that somewhere in the world I have a friend.

This is an update on your loan to Matale Lending Group 2 in Uganda.
Christine is pleased to report that business is great! Since
establishing her retail grocery and sundries shop over a year and a half
ago with her first loan from Pearl Microfinance, this friendly wife and
mother of 5 children has since expanded her product selection to meet
the demands of her village, purchased a cow so she can sell milk in her
shop, bought a refrigerator to preserve her milk, sodas, eggs, mineral
water and the fresh juices she prepares daily. Christine was also able
to afford a couch for the home she and her family rent. She’s used the
proceeds from the current loan to replenish her supplies and add new
items to her store. Operating this business has many challenges and
opportunities. Christine struggles to accommodate the customers, most of
whom are her friends, who want to pay on credit. Many times, she’s not
able to collect on this credit and it’s uncomfortable when she has to
ask. Eventually, she wants to apply her knowledge of retailing and
become a wholesale distributor. rnrnThis business has taught Christine
many valuable business skills. As a young housewife, she had no formal
business skills training before opening her shop. Now she knows how to
finance her business needs; plan and budget; manage and save money;
identify and purchase merchandise that her customers want to buy; manage
inventory and, of course manage her loan obligations - all great
entrepreneurial skills!rnrnChristine hopes to take out another loan
after this one to further expand her product selection. Her family hopes
to use the additional profits to buy a plot of land and build their own
home.rnrnWith the support of Pearl’s microfinance program, Christine
and her husband, an electrician, are able to provide 2 meals a day for
their family and pay for school fees. Her kids are attending better
schools and wearing nicer clothes. She’s says her life and her
family’s lives are much better off now. She’s grateful to Pearl
Microfinance and her Kiva lenders.

This is an update on your loan to Matale Lending Group 2 in Uganda.
Robinah is a widow and the single mother of 7 children aged 7-15, and
the sole wager for her household. Two of here children are her late
sister’s orphans. She owns and manages a Malwa bar, a local brew made
from millet (the author tried a sip and let’s just say it’s an
acquired taste and quite potent!). She used the proceeds from her August
2008 loan to buy bulk millet flour, firewood and brewing supplies.
Robinah has a couple of different varieties of Malwa. The style pictured
takes 2 weeks to produce and is best enjoyed in her comfortable and
pleasant café. The other variety requires over a month and is generally
sold in bottles. She started in business with her first Pearl microloan
as a Malwa reseller. Soon after, she learned how to make her own Malwa
and saw a significant boost in profit. Shortly after, with her third
loan, Robinah opened her café, seeing sales rise still further. She now
offers her bottled Malwa through local retailers in her village.rn
rnRobinah says Pearl’s microfinance program “has helped me so
much.” Without Pearl’s assistance, she would still be a peasant
farmer unable to support her children or pay for their school fees.
Without her loans, she fears her children would have to discontinue
school. And she would not have been able to afford the home they all
live in together because of her Malwa business.rn rnBecause her
customers continue to increase, Malwa believes her next loan requirement
will be 1,500,000 UGX to finance the purchase of larger supplies.rn
rnRobinah is grateful to Pearl and Kiva’s lenders.

My third loan was given to a father of 11 who has been a teacher for 30 years and heard about the loan process and thought it could help him finish the house he has been trying to build for his family for years, whenever he could he would buy steel supports and was always building bricks and now he can do it all at once. He has never been late with a payment, and it feels so good to help a man who has helped so many young people stay out of the violence in such a war torn country. My heart swells for the people of Africa, I am going to put together a package for Nick and I's 3 year old Zambian "daughter" Loveness today and dream about our trip there next summer, hopefully.