| Total number of women and men helped to date: 4,618
(19% increase from 2014)
Total number of clients with loans outstanding: 1,486
(A record high!)
Number of new clients this quarter: 41
Number of new clients in 2015: 849
Outstanding loan balance: $571,286
Number of new loans this quarter: 221
Number of new loans given in 2015: 8,123
(48% increase from 2014)
Total amount of funds loaned out this quarter: $332,763
Total amount of funds loaned in 2015: $981,230
(17% increase over 2014)
Loan repayment rate: 96%
Number of business accountability groups this quarter: 6
Total number of business accountability groups now: 238
(21% increase from 2014)
Total amount of money SAVED by clients to date: $471,797
(21% increase from 2014)
Number of clients waiting for subsequent loans: 1,304
Number of clients trained in 2015: 556
Number of potential clients currently in training meetings: 293
Number of clients who have completed training and await first loans: 477
Number of clients this quarter who reached a point of business sustainability and no longer need a loan: 264
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Selina is the chairperson of her microfinance support group, Kitamunae, which meets outside the Missions of Hope school in Napuu, near Lodwar. She is also a leader in the Napuu Outreach Hope Church and frequently leads the women’s fellowship there. Selina has worked as a waitress and cook in several small restaurants in Lodwar, but has always had the desire to open her own restaurant closer to Napuu. She formed the self-help group with Missions of Hope in June 2015 and has been saving money every week with her group members. She also opened her own restaurant in June. Selina has recently applied for a loan of $200 to expand her business. Constructing the building for her restaurant really put a strain on her finances and she is struggling to provide for her family. With the funds from the loan Selina will complete her restaurant and put a solid floor in so it looks more appealing to her customers. She would also like to employ several people as soon as her business generates enough profit.
Susan is the third of 15 children in her family and lives in Lodwar. When Susan was in high school, she was taken advantage of by some men in her community and became pregnant. As a result she was forced to drop out of school to take care of her baby. When this happened yet again, Susan gave up all hope of ever finishing her education. She began attending her mother’s self-help group through Missions of Hope because she can read. The group members, all illiterate, wanted to begin taking loans, but they wanted someone they trusted to read the loan application and contracts. Susan began assisting the group as a secretary, reading their documents and advocating for the group when necessary. Through the group she was able to find a sponsor who was willing to pay her school fees and send her back to finish high school. In 2014 Susan began her schooling again, officially joined Kibongu self-help group as an active member, and started a small vegetable business near her home. She has been saving every week and is planning to take her first loan in the next few months. She is so happy that she has been able to go back to school and start a business.
Josephat lives in a small village outside of Lodwar with his wife and six children. He makes sandals and sells them in town. In 2014 his house burned down and he didn’t have the money to build another one because his business only generates enough income to barely provide for his family’s needs. He joined a self-help group with Missions of Hope in order to get a loan to build a new house. He is now making the last payments on his second loan and has been able to rebuild. His business is doing well and slowly growing. Josephat is grateful for how microfinance has affected his life and helped him when he was in need.
Echwa lives in Lodwar with her eight children. During the 2007 election violence she was separated from her husband and fled from her home with her children to the internally displaced persons camp outside Lodwar. Since then she has struggled to provide for her children through her produce stand. She joined the Missions of Hope self-help group Kibongu in 2014 and took a loan of almost $200 in order to buy a plot of land to begin building her own house. She now lives in this home with her children and has recently taken another loan of $300 in order to pay off all her children’s school fees. She is very grateful for the microfinance program and how it has improved her life. With the next loan she plans to begin building a permanent shop for her produce stand.
Musa lives in a very dry village outside Lodwar with his wife and five children. He sells dried tea leaves from his shop in town. He was struggling to save enough money to build a permanent house for his family, so he joined a Missions of Hope self-help group. After a period of saving money he took his first loan, which helped him begin construction on a house. After repaying that loan he took another and finished construction. He is very grateful for how these loans have improved his family’s life and looks forward to continue growing his business.
