Stories

Jullieth Mindu Matheson

A single mother of two children who lives in Tanzania, Jullieth is committed to seeing that her children get an education so they can escape a life of poverty. But Jullieth’s wages from her job at a local kindergarten school didn’t begin to pay for the necessary school uniforms and fees.

Enter the SRi microfinancing loan initiative.  Jullieth recognized that selling flour and giki (used to help whiten clothes) in small, affordable packages to her neighbors could be a profitable business. An SRi loan allowed her to buy large quantities of the products to repackage and resell.

But that’s not all the loan changed to Jullieth’s life.

“My involvement with SRi has taught me that without God you can do nothing. I work to sell my product and God provides the customer,” Jullieth said. “I have learned to give back my tithe to my church and have been able to help with our church building program, too. My dream is someday build a building so that I could have a kindergarten school. There is a great need for safe places for young children to learn.”

Martin Z. Kabodo

I have liked the idea of being a business man. Even when I was in primary school I would sell mangos or sugar cane after school. Before coming to SRi, I sold kitchen utensils by walking around to different places wherever I could find people gathered.

I have been working with SRi for about nine months now. Before getting my first loan, I attended the required eight weeks of training where they taught me about what it would take to operate a successful small business, wise use of my profits, how to save, and about reinvesting in my business.

I came to SRi with the idea of starting a cell phone accessories business because most people here have them and need to buy more talk time for there phones and need to buy parts for their phone when they start having problems with them. I started with about 200,000 T shillings (about $150) in capital and after only seven months of working with SRi I now have 600,000 T shillings (about $450) through my loan and savings.

I am also ale to hep some of my brothers with tuition and uniforms for school. I have used some of my profits to start an English class and am planning to begin a two-year secondary school program.

My business is small now, but my dream is to grow my business into something big so that I can begin selling cell phones as well as the accessories.

Suzana Reonad Jackson

Before I came to SRi, I was home alone all day and was lonely and disappointed in how my life was going. SRi brought me together with other people who wanted to do business and make their lives better. We share ideas and then try to put them into practice to improve our small businesses.

With my loan I bought undergarments for men, women and children and sell them from a small cart along the street. I have learned to understand my cost of each item before I set my prices. I hope to move my business from my cart on the street to a shop with more space so that I can expand my business.

I thank God for SRi. My life is changing and I am gaining wisdom and confidence. I have good work to do and am able to share what I have in my heart concerning the kingdom of God.