Install internet in the new business premises
Joshua
Meru, Kenya
100% repaid
Entrepreneur
Name
Joshua
Member since
October 2017
On-time repayments
30 installments • 70%
About Me
My names are Joshua Kibera Chege. I was born first to a family of 4 boys in Nakuru, Kenya 36 years ago. My home town was small, dusty and largely a farming town in the northwest of Kenya. We were famous for our lake and the many flamingos that live there but now probably more famous for being a refuge town during the post-election violence of 2008.
My childhood was simple and happy. I did well in my studies, later earning a spot at the medical school at the University of Nairobi. My father, Rev. Samuel Kibera was a church minister (now retired) and my mother, Jeri Kibera, a shopkeeper turned nurse assistant. They were elated that I was pursuing my dreams but were soon overwhelmed by the financial cost of taking me through medical school.
I had to transfer to a cheaper medical school after a year. We decided on Makerere University across the border in Uganda. At around this time my father fell ill and my mother's shop had to close down. My parents had to sell precious assets including parcels of land and their car. My mother left the country to look for job that would see me through college. It was a tough time for our family and I am eternally grateful for the sacrifices they made to see me through my days in med school.
Medical school brought the effect that poverty has on health and healthcare into sharp focus. It was extremely disturbing to watch preventable diseases causing suffering and death on a daily basis. In particular, I will never forget the day I stopped a woman who looked lost and confused, pacing the corridors of the medical ward at the teaching hospital.
Can I help you? - I asked. Are you lost?
She stopped, turned and looked at me but didn't answer. I felt like had interrupted her in the middle of an important thought process and I was not sure she heard my question.
How much is does it cost to buy this drug in town? she asked abruptly. I'm told they don't have it here at the teaching hospital.
She handed me a prescription for a drug needed in the treatment of cryptoccocal meningitis. I knew how much the drug would cost having prescribed it several times before.
I can't afford that! She wailed as soon as I told her the price.
Now what am I going to do? I've spent all our money on lab tests and now I have almost nothing.
As we spoke it became clear that she had to choose between buying a drug to save her son's life and buying food for the day. She was desperate - a mother at the end of her means, trying to save her dying son. It felt so hopeless. In my pocket were a few shillings meant for a student's evening meal. I pulled them out and placed them in her hands, mumbled something inadequate and walked away. The whole experience was depressing but it profoundly changed my life. I swore that one day I would do something for people like her.
Today I am married to a beautiful wife and we have been blessed with two lovely boys. We live in leafy Meru, a small farming town in central Kenya. I am a pathologist and my days are spent mostly looking down a microscope and recently, starting a cancer centre serving a region of over 2 million people.
I still think of the woman in Uganda who so touched my life 14 years ago and a life unnecessarily lost.
My Business
We have a private pathology laboratory which serves about 3000 patients per year. This year we have partnered with an oncologist to establish a cancer centre in Meru, Kenya to serve a population of over 2 million people.
We recently moved to a new and larger facility. The lab is fully operational but there are some items we have not bought yet so we have not begun treating cancer patients. We need about $25,000 to complete setup of the chemotherapy unit and begin serving patients.
This application is meant to slowly build our line of credit towards this objective. The money will be used to purchase supplies and run the office until we invoice our clients at the end of the month.
Loan Proposal
We recently changed our business model and partnered with an oncologist to start cancer centre. This meant moving to a new office building at the end of our billing cycle. The cost of moving went a bit over budget and we were not able to pay for internet installation in the new office block. We use the internet to send sensitive laboratory results to patients. We are currently using expensive mobile phone data bundles to communicate with our clients. This loan will pay for installation of WiFi internet onsite thus cutting our internet costs and improving efficiency.
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Loan Info
Project Type
Classic Loan
Disbursed amount
$246.00
Date disbursed
Apr 20, 2019
Repayment status
On Time
Projected term
8 weeks
Other loans
Lenders
Canada
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Germany
Germany
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Summary
Amount repaid
$246.75
Amount remaining
$0.00
Date repaid
Jul 4, 2019
Status
Fully repaid
Repayment History
| Expected Payments | Actual Payments | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2019 | $30.84 | Apr 28, 2019 | $30.84 |
| May 4, 2019 | $30.84 | May 4, 2019 | $30.84 |
| May 11, 2019 | $30.84 | May 4, 2019 | $18.43 |
| May 11, 2019 | $12.42 | ||
| May 18, 2019 | $30.84 | May 11, 2019 | $27.00 |
| May 19, 2019 | $3.84 | ||
| May 25, 2019 | $30.84 | May 19, 2019 | $2.07 |
| May 28, 2019 | $28.77 | ||
| Jun 1, 2019 | $30.84 | Jul 4, 2019 | $30.84 |
| Jun 8, 2019 | $30.84 | Jul 4, 2019 | $30.84 |
| Jun 15, 2019 | $30.84 | Jul 4, 2019 | $30.84 |
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