traciyoshiyama    Jul 7, 2012

July 7, 2011

Hello, my name is Traci Yoshiyama, Zidisha’s Kenya Client Relationship Manager. I am currently residing in Mugaa, visiting Zidisha borrowers in nearby villages.

A woman dressed in a beautiful blue gown and intricately designed headscarf approached me as I waited on the main street of Kiptangwanyi. Instantly knowing I was the person she was looking for, me being the only mzungu in the area, Lucy Wambui greeted me with a firm handshake and a warm hug. We walked through town, making our way towards her shop, Wambu Investment Marketing Agency. Along the way, she told me people in town know her as Maitu, which means ‘mother’ in Kikuyu. It is no wonder no one knew who I was referring to when I was waiting for her.

Before we even sat down to chat, a woman came into her shop to greet her. Assuming this woman asked who I was, Maitu referred to me as her daughter with a booming laugh to follow. This laugh appears often throughout our conversation.

Maitu started her shop in 2008 with a group loan. She was able to take out several loans, but explained to me that the interest rate was too high (more than 20%), and the grace period too short, having to start repayments after only two weeks. When she heard about Zidisha from a fellow borrower in Kiptangwanyi, she knew she had to apply. This loan has allowed Maitu to accomplish many things. Not only can she stock her shop with various items, she is also able to pay for school fees. At this time, Maitu rushes into her shop and searches through a stack of envelopes. She proudly shows me several certificates her daughter has been awarded, the latest being a graduation certificate from Meru Teachers Training College.

At one point during our conversation, Maitu shows me an SMS, trying to explain the reason for her late payment in June. She has requested to pay last month’s payment in July due to an increase in school fees. She also has a son in secondary school and with her daughter just finishing college, she was unable to pay in June. Next month, Maitu is hoping that by selling beans from her shamba, she will be able to make her repayments early. She did express her eagerness for a second loan, showing me empty shelves in her shop where she would like to buy more items to sell to customers. Coincidentally, a man came into her shop at this moment and asked if she carried hand sanitizer. Unfortunately, she had to turn him away.

Before I left Maitu’s shop, she asked me to greet her lenders. Here is what she said, “I’m willing to stay with you and do the work with you. Praise God for all the work you have done. I don’t have anything to give you, but I thank you so much.” As I am writing my final words about Maitu, my phone rings and it is her. She has called to say hello, see if I reached Mugaa safely, and once again call me her daughter. If ever in Kiptangwanyi again, I will not hesitate to stop by and chat with Maitu, my Kenyan mother.