CHRF -MICRO ENTERPRISES


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WHAT WE DO MICRO-ENTERPRISE

MICRO-ENTERPRISE WE CAN END WORLD HUNGER

Help us end world poverty,
despair and war

Poverty causes disease, despair and death.

It also causes war. When people have no job and no hope, they are more likely to join in violent conflict to take what they can’t create.

When people are self-sufficient enough to provide for their family’s needs, there is no need for conflict.

Our vision for world peace:

• Break the self-perpetuating cycle of poverty and conflict by providing deserving families an opportunity of self-sufficiency through a $250 small business loan.
• Thousands of families then create more jobs, as well as providing new goods and services like food and clothing) for the community.
• Families pay the loan back which then goes on to help another family.
• Create hundreds of family businesses every year!

Now we can do it for just $250 per family

Nakuru: Micro-Enterprises

Report from Nakuru, Kenya

The first day was spent driving around visiting people that have received some of our micro-enterprise loans.

We wanted to hear and see first hand what these loans have helped these people to achieve.

The very first person we visited was Elizabeth Nyambura,who, as it turns out, is probably going to be our Poster Person for what can happen when you get capital into the hands of people, train them, and offer ongoing advice and council.

Well, in Elizabeth’s case, she is the one now giving advice and counsel throughout her small village outside of Nakuru.

With her first loan, Elizabeth purchased a cow. It was obviously a Cash Cow, because, with the profits from the milk she sold, she managed to support her children, construct a water tank, complete with piping from a water source up the hill 2.5 miles behind her house, No, she didn’t hire anyone to lay down the pipe: she did it herself, with the help of her 10 children. Elizabeth is a widow.

Not long after doing this, Farming Systems Kenya, who oversees our mirco-enterprise program in this area, chose Elizabeth to be part of its dairy-goat program.

With this goat, she was able to sell 7 kids, thereby paying for a daughter and son’s education, constructed an iron sheet roof for her kitchen (replacing the grass thatched one), and bought another goat and 2 kids. Her flock is now at 18 goats. The milk from these goats supports her family, and especially, the ongoing fees for educating her children.

O, did I mention that she also has 30 acres of corn and sells honey from her bee- hives?

As you can see, the corn is parched from the draught the nation is experiencing. Amazingly, Elizabeth smiles and simply looks around for other avenues for generating cash.

Next up, Elizabeth Wangui Ng’ang’a Here with her husband and daughterElizabeth owns the local hair salon.

Given the severe drought that Kenya is suffering, her business now barely provides for her family’s monthly needs.

She applied for a loan, from which she began purchasing indigenous chickens, which brings higher profits from eggs and meat than exotic chickens.

From a loan of just over $200 she purchased 30 chickens, and has a goal of 70 more.

Being a forward thinking person, she used part of the loan to erect a fence for her chickens, so as to deter any temptation of thievery, and to better control what the birds eat.

Always on the look-out for new ways to generate income, Elizabeth charges around ten cents per charge. While most of the people in her village have cell phones, few have electricity.

John Kiiru was off purchasing fodder for his cow, and I took this photo, of his wife, expecting to take one of him, later. When we finally sat down with him, I became so enthralled with his passion for dairy farming and being an example to the members of his church (John is the pastor of a local church), I forgot to take a photo.

John was in our training last year and couldn’t thank Davide and me enough for how the “attitude transformation” jettisoned him toward the success he is now experiencing.

Having $250, John attained a loan for $800 so that he could purchase a Holstein. Within a month this beauty calved down and, with selling around 20 liters of milk per day, he was able to pay off his loan with ease, while providing for his family.

He is now in the process of receiving another loan to purchase his next Holstein.

Anthony Maina Gethi. Anthony was off generating income elsewhere, so his wife was tending the store.

With a loan of around $500, Anthony expanded his stock, which enabled him to provide for his family and pay off the loan (he only has two more payments), in spite of the severe economic conditions in Kenya.

Anthony says that through our training on transforming mindsets regarding possibilities and opportunities for success, as well as how to create rapport with customers, he his been able to attain and maintain a loyal customer base.

Two of Anthony’s friends, Dickson Mwangi and Ibrahim Ndungo, witnessed his success, received micro-loans and started their own grocery stores close by.

Within a short time, other people also started businesses through micro-loans, and, Voila, we now have a strip mall!

One of the encouraging things aboutthis trip is seeing the tangible results of our trainings.

Poverty is a mindset just as self-sufficiancy is a different mindset.

Dairy goat gives hope to a young mother

Susan Nyambura, a single mother of two can see some light at the end of the tunnel. Her husband died two years ago.

For many years she bought milk to support her young children with a lot of struggle. She is suffering from HIV/AIDS and this had confounded her perils. Hope came in when she heard of a progrqam that provided support to communities for micro-enterprises. She joined Msamaria Mwema SHG (“Msamaria mwema” means Good Samaritan) in a bid to pool resources together and improve their livelihoods.

Her persistence and seriousness in the group led her to get leadership position in the group and was nominated by the group for Transformation Training that was organized by CHRF in March 2008. During the transformation training, her perception in life changed and took a more business-oriented approach. She started a salon in her neighborhood, which keeps her busy most of the time. The little proceeds are used to meet the family expenses.

In the month of May 2008, she was among the members who received dairy goats in an exciting ceremony. She was lucky to receive a lactating doe. Upon receiving it, she started milking the goat, receiving 2 liters every day, which is sufficient for her families needs. She no longer spends Kshs. 600.00 (US $ 11.00) every month to buy milk, and can now be used for other family needs. Susan comments “Dairy goat milk is indeed much more nutritious than the cows milk was. My health has drastically improved, as has the health of my children. We are no longer vulnerable to opportunistic diseases and I have the strength to carry on my daily chores with not much help from my other family members.

Her last born child is in standard three at Renuko Primary School. “ once my little boy reaches fourth class next year, I will take him to a boarding private school called Joswin Academy when I sell the offspring next year,” she says with a smile and hope. She also has the responsibility of her two grandchildren. Besides, the milk and the anticipated sale of offspring, she uses the manure from the flock to improve the soil in her kitchen garden that produces indigenous vegetables. She says that the benefits of a goat are enormous. The goat takes less space, requires less feed, and produces offspring much sooner. Her neighbors are envious. They keep asking how she manages to keep her healt all the time when others are struggling. She advises them to take keen interest in the animal and to apply the training received in order to properly manage the enterprises.

She looks at the future with a broad smile and she is very grateful to God for thinking about Her.

Thanks to CHRF and may God bless them so much.