jan73    Dec 25, 2014

Good wishes for health, joy, and prosperity to you and your family in 2015!

Charles    Dec 2, 2014

Dear lenders Thanks for your support,I received the loan you contributed in November and i am very grateful. I have adjusted my repayment to an installment that i believe i cant fail, this is due to weekly payments where not all weeks are same and with the high cost in doing business this period the profit margins are low and for me to be able to earn a decent salary and be able to perform all my duties without much stress please let me this time be paying this 100 per week and if things improve i shall adjust upward.

jan73    Sep 27, 2014

I admire how hard you work to try to educate your children!

(I have taken the liberty of translating Kenyan shillings to US dollars which is more familiar to many of us lenders.)

Felix    Sep 21, 2014

Hello Charles and welcome to the Zidisha family. Try a clearer picture and smile. The power of a smile can make the difference between a loan approval and not getting lenders. I wih you the best of luck in your next loan application

jan73    Sep 8, 2014

Charles,

I hope you re-post your loan. There seemed to be more loans than usual resulting in more expired loans. Please do not give up hope. Try again!

Jan

Charles    May 2, 2014

Due to low business, i am unable to repay my loan as scheduled, i am seeking your understanding t pay in smaller installment. And i am sure i wont fail please lender have faith your funds are guaranteed. The business environment in our country has deteroriated and we are surviving by grace of god.we are trying our best but the cost of living is high which has affected the purchasing power of our customers .its a sad state but we have faith thing will change

roberta.zenere    Oct 6, 2013

Dear Lenders,

my name is Roberta Zenere and I am a Kenya Country Liaison Intern at Zidisha. Within this role, I am coordinating the Zidisha's MPESA team, responsible for processing loan repayments and disbursements.

Today, while reviewing our accounts, I noticed that a loan repayment of 5,592 KES (67.97 USD) sent by Mr Murungi on May, 29 was not registered in the repayment schedule of his previous loan. We have now credited that amount in his current repayment schedule, as you can see from the payment posted today under the date May, 29.

Mr Murungi, we are sorry for this inconvenience and we wish you all the best with your business! You are doing well with your loan repayment!

Best regards,

Roberta
Zidisha Team

Charles    Jul 15, 2013

Hi lenders.
Please i am asking for one month to start repayment for this loan .i had planned to pay this month but the business is not very good becouse of some challenges i had during the month please i promise to pay in time from next month.i invested all the amount that i borrowed into my business and i am exppecting increased sales.I am happy with zidisha as it has helped increase my business and i am somehow financially secure,thank and keep up the goork you are doing to our community.

traciyoshiyama    Sep 18, 2012

September 18, 2012

Hello, my name is Traci Yoshiyama, Zidisha’s Kenya Client Relationship Manager. I am currently visiting Zidisha borrowers in and around Nairobi.

By Faith Shop could easily go unnoticed among the overwhelming number of like-businesses taking over the narrow pathways of Mukuru slums, but the endless stream of customers say otherwise. During my visit with borrower, Charles Murungi, not a minute passes without a customer in want of something By Faith Shop supplies. Luckily his wife and business partner, Milicent, is there to accompany me while Charles busily handles the many requests for items such as milk, soap, and sugar.

This unassuming general store has been in operation for eight years, and although the business has always been enough to supplement the income Charles made as a lorry driver, Zidisha has helped to almost double their sales! Part of the loan received was used to buy in-demand items, such as milk, sugar, unga, and soda. Previously making Ksh 3,000 per day, having these items readily available has increased their daily profit to Ksh 5,000, sometimes reaching over Ksh 6,000 on a good day. Without a contract with his current employer, Charles’s job as a driver is inconsistent and wages are unpredictable. With the recent boost in business, paying for rent, school fees, and basic necessities is manageable. While having highly sought-after items in stock is one component to a successful business, the long grueling hours spent at work is another, as most days for Charles and Milicent begin at 5 AM and end as late as 10 in the evening.

In addition to stock, the Zidisha loan was also used to purchase five goats and one calf. Currently being raised by Charles’s father in his hometown of Laikipia (central Kenya), he hopes to sell the goats when they reach a mature age. When his calf is ready for milk production, Charles hopes to sell milk in Laikipia as well. Wanting to continue as a Zidisha borrower after repaying his first loan, Charles hopes a second loan will allow him to purchase a piece of land to grow crops and later sell to the community. Having a large Somalian population in Mukuru, Charles and Milicent would also like to add spaghetti noodles to their stock.

This being my first time in Mukuru, I have high hopes that it won’t be my last, for although Charles is the first and only Zidisha borrower in Mukuru, Milicent offers to take me to nearby businesses to procure more interest. We leave Charles to operate the shop on his own, on a mission to turn this one-man Zidisha community into many.

Charles    May 28, 2012

Hi Brian Thank you for the loan you have given me your support i highly appreciated and thanks a lot,Galmor and all of you who have contributed to my loan accept my heart felt gratitude and i promise to slaughter a goat for you whenever you visit Our country..The loan you have contributed will go a long way towards helping me uplift the living standard of my family and may you all continue supporting Kenyans.

Brian    May 23, 2012

Charles, I admire the hard work that you are doing to better your family's situation - taking on a new business in livestock takes courage. I wish you every success.