Neema's Ventures: selling clothing; and farming & selling food
Silvia
Karatina, Kenya
100% repaid
Entrepreneur
Name
Silvia
Member since
October 2019
On-time repayments
6 installments • 50%
About Me
Hi. I'm Silvia. I'm a 23 year old Kenyan lady who lives at a town called Karatina. It is an agricultural town located in Nyeri County in Kenya. I have lived here almost my whole life. I grew up in a single room with my mother and sister. My mom was a hair stylist who struggled to make ends meet. At times we'd sleep hungry, other times we'd play cat and mouse with the landlord.
Mom managed to educate us both. I managed to complete both primary and secondary education. Last year I did a 3 month course in pastry and cake making. My ambition was to start a catering company that also sold pastries and cakes. However, I was low on cash. I tried various methods. I started to use a friend's oven to bake cakes and sell them to local businesses. I was able to meet my expenses and even save Kshs 2000 a month. Unfortunately, when covid-19 happened everything went down hill. The government closed down eateries and my business was finished.
I didn't give up. I immediately used my meagre savings to open a stall where I sold slippers, shoes and toys. I also make and sell soap in my local area. These businesses tend to be hand to mouth, only taking care of basic needs. I have a small child, the beautiful one in the pictuI would like to grow so that I can save and also pay for my sister's high school education. She has been out of school since third term last year due to many arrears.
I intend to raise between Usd 1,850 and Usd 2,500 to obtain a business permit, premises and increase the inventory for my small business. I intend to call it Neema Ventures. In time I'll buy an oven and have a side bakery business. I know I can't get the amount I want right away but I'm willing to build trust by repaying smaller loans first. I appreciate all the gracious lenders on this site. Without your generous attitude a lot of people would be stranded in harsh circumstances.
My Business
I used to bake cakes using my friends oven and sell them to local businesses. However, the food and catering market is currently in trouble because of the covid.
I currently have a small market stall where I sell toys, inner wear and assorted footwear. I only make a profit of upto Usd 80 month. If I could get a business premises and permit it would grow. Below is a breakdown of my expenses:
Goodwill, deposit and rent (premises) = Usd 350.
Business upgrades (shelves, painting, lighting) = Usd 200
Business permit = Usd 75
Inventory = Usd 1200
Total Cost = Usd 1825
My business is currently hampered by lack of premises which means less customers and lower prices. Once I get the above amount I'll be able to profits of between Usd 200 and Usd 500 a month.
This means that I'll be able to pay for the loan in increasing amounts using my profits. I'm humbly requesting your help to make this dream into a reality. Thank you for taking your time to read all this.
Loan Proposal
I will use it to buy baby clothes for sale at wholesale prices. These are in demand due to the cold season. I also need to clear the medical permit for my new fried cassava side business.
Income Source
In Kenya we're having a cold season. Baby sweaters, jackets and other warm clothes are very marketable. I believe I'll be able to clear this loan within the month.
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Loan Info
Project Type
Classic Loan
Disbursed amount
$93.00
Date disbursed
Sep 13, 2020
Repayment status
On Time
Projected term
2 weeks
Other loans
Lenders
Taiwan
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