As you know I have been tasked with interviewing clients for fundraising efforts in the USA. I have been diligently working with staff members in the office the past six days to try and translate as much as possible before my last day of work on July 20th! Seemling impossible with the internet connection but we managed to get as many done as possible.
I wanted to post a few I really liked! Please enjoy watching the video and reading the responses.
Interview With Zione Kefasi of Zipindule Loan Group
Name: Zione Kefasi
MicroLoan Group Name: Zipindule
Location: Lilongwe
Age: 31
Married: Yes
Do you have children? Yes
How many? 2
Do you care for any orphans? 1
Do the children go to school? All the children go to school.
Before you had a loan from MicroLoan, did you work? No
After your loan from MicroLoan, did you earn enough to provide for the family? Yes I earn enough so I can provide my family with everything and boost my business as well.
After your loan from MicoLoan, how many meals per day were you having? I manage to eat three times a day.
How many loans have you received from MicroLoan to date? I have taken 6 loans.
What sort of business do you have? How is it doing? I own a tea room. I sell tea with scones. A small cup of tea is 60MWK and a scone is 20MWK.
Are you happy that you are taking loans from MicroLoan Foundation? I am very happy. My family has changed. In the past I was building a house but failed to finish, but now I have finished after joining MicroLoan Foundation.
What is your dream? My vision is that I cannot withdraw from MicroLoan Foundation because it is helping me very much. I hope when I continue taking loans from MicroLoan, I will do something very big in the future.
Name: Esther Limbikani
MicroLoan Group Name: Mkwelera
Location: Lilongwe
Age: 27
Married: Yes
Do you have children? Yes
How many? 4
Do you care for any orphans? No
Do the children go to school? Yes, two of them
Before you had a loan from MicroLoan, did you work? Yes farming tobacco and maize.
Before you had a loan from MicroLoan, did your husband have a job? No
Before you had a loan from MicroLoan, did you earn enough to provide for the family? No not enough.
Before you had a loan from MicoLoan, how many meals per day were you having? We get food with some problems.
Before you had a loan from MicroLoan, were you able to purchase clothes and shoes for you and your family? Some members of the family have clothes while some cannot have.
How many loans have you received from MicroLoan to date? Only 1
What sort of business do you have? How is it doing? I sell groundnuts. It is growing.
Describe costs and profits. I got a 10,000MWK loan. That was my starting capital. After making profits I did the repayment to ensure my existence as a member. With the interest of 1,550MWK as I was told and banked 1,500MWK from the proceeds.
Are you better off now than before MicroLoan? I am better now because when I got the loan I started business and it is characterized by profit. If I get another loan that would be a booster and I would be encouraged.
Do you have a house? Describe. Yes. My house is cemented on one side and the other sides are not. If all goes well with my business I will do the remaining part.
Is it weather proof in the rainy season? It is weather proof in the rainy season but not so much. I am sure that if I stick to MicroLoan it will all be secured.
Do you use kerosene to see at night? No I use paraffin.
Do you cook over an open fire? I collect firewood from the nearest forest but it is not easy to use firewood because when I am cooking the room is full of smoke which makes the environment in the kitchen bad and my eyes begin to tear.
Do you grow any vegetables? I grow vegetables for domestic consumption.
Describe a typical day. I wake up at 5:00 AM to do the cleanings to protect the family from diseases. I also go to the field to do some fieldwork like clearing the land and I go to bed at 7:00 PM
If you have an emergency in the family and need a lump sum of cash, do you have it saved? No I do not keep any savings so in an emergency I go and borrow money. I would borrow money from my husband’s relatives.
Do you own a cell phone? I had one but it was stolen.
What is your dream? I am very watchful to see how best MicroLoan can really assist me but the way it has started is good. If I stick to MicroLoan policies I am sure that my problems will be minimal and I will be able to send my children to school.
Name: Emily Naboti
MicroLoan Group Name: Tadala
Location: Lilongwe
Age: 29
Married: Yes
Do you have children? Yes
How many? 4, 2 boys, 2 girls
Do you care for any orphans? No
Do the children go to school? Yes, they all go to school.
Before you took a loan from MicroLoan, did you take loans from any other institutions? Yes, I was taking a small loan from NABW. I was only allowed to take a maximum of 10,000MWK which I was repaying monthly. Because the money was not enough my business was not growing.
After joining MicroLoan, how man meals per day were you having? Three meals a day
How many loans have you received from MicroLoan to date? At first I was taking a standard loan for two cycles. Now I have been taking bridging loans for two cycles.
What sort of business do you have? I sell clothes, fish, and fritters.
Are you making profits? My business is going very well. At first I was taking small loans and repaying fortnightly but now I am taking big loans which I repay monthly so this is helping. This means from the first of the month to the thirtieth I make big profits. That’s how MicroLoan Foundation is helping me.
Are you better off now than before MicroLoan? Yes
What is your dream? My vision is that I hope in the future I will do something big.
What is the big thing you’re going to do? I will build a good house because the house I am living in today is not in good condition. But I believe that I will build that good house with electricity in it.
