100 women of Ochelakur Sub-County access finance

The coordinator has been moving within the village and talking about the support loans they offer to women since women have more problems in the community than men. That there is a loan we offer with little interest and affordable, he said. The coordinator’s name is called Okene, who encouraged us to get loans for personal use and also create groups. This made me have interest to get a loan and it helped me a lot. From this village it is very hard to get money and the only way to get money is farming of which some seasons are not good. Sometimes we get good output and sometimes bad. Like last year there was a lot of sunshine but we persevered since it’s the only way to get money. the money I got has helped me a lot.

My name is Adera from Agule village, Ochalakur Sub-County, Kalaki District. The money I borrowed has been helping me in many ways.

• The first borrowing was for treatment and I got 150,000 shillings. It really changed my life. I was sick and there was no way to get treatment. The money I got helped me to get well and healthy, because I used it to pay for treatment.
• The second time I got 130,000 shillings for buying murram for building and I plan to start construction of a permanent house. I have faith that I will build even if I still don’t have all the money needed.
• The third time I borrowed 130,000 shillings for planting millet. The millet that I harvested, I sold one sack and got 200,000 shillings and that money helped her so much. I also used other money to prepare the land and I plan to plant soya in this first season. I also planted cassava and I sold and added to the money I attained from selling millet and bought two sheep.

I thank the coordinator for supporting me and may they continue to help other people also.  I plan to come gain to borrow more money for development. Thanks.

This tesimony shared by a beneficiary of our Robert's money lending business exemplifies the importance of grassroots loan schemes that target women, such us our project has the intention to benefit. The primary objective of our project is to increase the loan fund from which more women can have access to loans that address their immediate needs, such as Adera has benefitted. Thank you to all that have made a donation. We are hopeful that with your continue support we will meet our target. 

"My name is Margie, from Kacilo Village, Sangai Parish, Ochelakur Sub-County. I tried to borrow from many people from whom I hoped to get money from but I failed. I also had a group where we save some little monies, but it was like every member from the group needed money, so the group committee decided to put me on a waiting list that would make me receive that money after two weeks.

When I went to Robert, I was told that they will lend me money without disturbing me. That saved me a lot. The interest rate was fair compared to that of the group, since in the group we are charged 20 percent and Robert gave me at 15 percent. It relieved me a lot. I first borrowed UShs.10,000 (US$ 2.60) to top up on my business of tomatoes selling. I paid it back at the end of the month and I kept on borrowing and paying back just like that.

I am happy that my business can make me buy food for the family. At the end of the day, I buy sugar and salt and I am no longer like other women here in the village. I started with only tomatoes and now I grind and sell groundnut paste, mukene (dried silver fish), avocado, which I buy from Kalaki and then sell. I hope to progress with this business because it is helping me and my family a lot. Our men from this side are lazy at working, so they wait for food on the table. I think of borrowing more money to increase on the level of my business and also see myself develop even more."

I feel blessed that in a humble way I am contributing to helping very enterprising and hardworking women, such as Margie, in my home village. This is something that I would never have thought about before I benefited from the CPAR Uganda Mentoring Young Adults in Uganda into Innovators Against Poverty Project. I am grateful that as I contiune my mentoring journey with CPAR Uganda, I am learning and being motivated to raise funds to be able to benefit more disadvantaged women and also to be able to give bigger loans to them. 

Thank you to all who have already made a donation in support of accessing finance to the women of Ochelakur. Every little bit counts for it will surely generate huge impact in the quality of life of the benefiting households. Margie's high self-esteem and pride as a self-reliant business woman is pulpable. And so, I make a plea, please make a donation to our project and help us to extend the much need helping hand to women of a traditionally fishing community, but who now have to diversify away from fishing, since their livelihoods from fishing on Lake Kyoga are no longer tenable.

Links:

• Blog - reasons why to eat silver. Example why to support vendors