Maize for my flour mill

Ngoja

Kinango, Kenya

5% repaid

Entrepreneur

Name

Ngoja

Member since

January 2015

On-time repayments

69 installments  •  68%

About Me

My name is Ngoja Nyawa - born in Kwale County in the Coast region of Kenya. I was born in a big family of nine and I am the 5th born. Kwale is a semi-arid area where the main activity is subsistence farming. It is in this environment that I was born 45 years ago and I had to endure a lot of hardships because my parents could hardly cope with raising the big family.

However, I navigated safely into adulthood largely due to assistance given by government in form of relief food and other basic needs. I did eight years of primary school but unfortunately I could not proceed further due to lack of school fees.

I later moved to Mombasa city where I started working in construction sites to earn a living. I made some savings which I used to take me to a technical college for a course in building technology where I qualified as a building technician.

I got a job in a local school academy as a building maintenance staff and then promoted to a maintenance supervisor. I worked there for nine years and decided to go back home to start a posho mill business which I am still doing.

I am married with 6 children aged between 5-19 years.

My Business

I run a posho mill business. This business entails converting dry maize to maize floor which is the staple food in Kenya. I buy maize from local farmers during harvest time and then store it for milling when needed. I normally serve the local community- most of whom a low income earners who can hardly afford flour from well established millers.

The flour is preferred because it is cheap and more nutritious than the other refined brands and it is slowly gaining acceptance even from the middle class. I make a total profit of about $250 after covering my overheads (mostly diesel, engine oil and general maintenance of the milling machine).

This is money that I use to support my family including their education and general upkeep.

Loan Proposal

I need to increase stock for my business as there is no farm produce from the local area due to a prolonged drought which has hit this area for the past close to 10 months. So the demand for Maize flour being our staple food has increased thereby making the demand also for more dry maize stock to cope with the existing maize flour. I therefore feel i need a loan to by more dry maize from the market stores and supplement whatever is in my store and be able to cope with the demand.

Feedback

None

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Loan Info

Project Type

Classic Loan

Disbursed amount

$180.00

Date disbursed

May 13, 2016

Repayment status

Late

Projected term

6 weeks

Lenders

TK

Tim Koppel

WOLLONGONG, Australia

McJulio

New Jersey, United States

F

flaguy999

Tampa, United States

L

Leonora

TÄBY, Sweden

thomas2666

Brisbane, Australia

JK

Hamburg, Germany

M

Magnus

Switzerland

RC

Roy Chicky Arad

tel aviv, Israel, Israel

TO

Thomas O'Neil

United States

Craig Newmark

United States

The Zinc Team

San Francisco, United States

Humble Bundle Community

San Francisco, United States

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  • Susan    Oct 10, 2017

    I contacted Ngoja and he said that he intended Zidisha to take the money in his loan fund and offset his remaining loan with it. I have asked him to email for that change to be effected.

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  • Ngoja    May 9, 2016

    I am absolutely happy with this loans as despite all the difficulties, i have managed to send my daughter to a college with the saving i get from my small business. I am sure it will grow big with time and my children will have better life through this business.

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  • Ngoja    May 3, 2016

    I want to clear the remaining balance of the loan and plan for the next move

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  • Ngoja    Nov 18, 2015

    My business is good and i would like to clear my loan early so that i can borrow more to expand my business.
    Thanks Zidisha

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  • Mwania    Aug 19, 2015

    All the best Mr Nyawa

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  • Ngoja    Aug 9, 2015

    Thanks so much for the new loan, I have received the loan and it will definitely make a difference in my life.

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  • Ndungu    Aug 8, 2015

    Congratulations Mr. Nyawa on completing your loan and getting funded. I am glad I introduced you to Zidisha.

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  • Ngoja    Aug 5, 2015

    I will buy dry maize for my posho mill business
    The loan will make my business more reliable for customers and I real thank my lenders for improving my family's life.

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  • Ngoja    Aug 5, 2015

    Generally the first loan improved my life and that of my family, my children can now go to school knowing very well that they will not be chased from school due to school fees. I am looking forward to using the loan on buying dry maize from the local farmers as it is a harvesting period at the moment in our locality.

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  • Ngoja    Mar 30, 2015

    First i would like thank my lenders for this wonderful start loan, my business is doing well and i am looking forward to expanding it more in the next few months.
    I am proud of you.

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  • Vincent    Jan 26, 2015

    all the best in your business

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