Open a new food outlet

Elizabeth

Magongo, Kenya

100% repaid

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How it Works

Entrepreneur

Name

Elizabeth

Member since

May 2015

On-time repayments

272 installments • 69%

About Me

My name is Elizabeth, born in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. My parents later relocated to Nairobi where I went to school for my primary and secondary education.

I later got married but our marriage hit the rocks after a few years when my husband became very abusive. At the time, I was a mother of two young children and the responsibility of raising them fell on my shoulders. Our separation was too much for me handle and a relative who lives in Mombasa - about 500 kilometers away asked me to live with her so as ease the pain I was going through.

While in Mombasa, I started working as a casual laborer in hotels and restaurants. I saved some money which I used to rent my own residential house and later started making snacks which I would sell to the people in the neighborhood. This is what I am still doing to date and I am glad the profit I make from this business has raised my two children into adulthood.

My Business

I prepare snacks such as samosas and buns that I sell to people in the neighborhood and school children. I also make juice from seasonal fruits that I sell to the same people. I started this business to address the need of hygienically prepared food because I realized that the people who were doing it were not observing basic hygiene and that led to many would be buyers shying away from home made snacks.

Due to my brief experience in working in hotel industry, I had an edge over the competition and I also took my work very seriously. I am glad that I have seen my business grow to a point where I am able to sell food worth USD 30 in a day and this is no mean achievement by our standards. Half of this amount goes into expenses, key among them buying of ingredients. I use the balance to cater for my family's budget that includes food and rent.

Loan Proposal

I am glad that through Zidisha loans, I was able to open a school canteen which I have been running for a while now. This has proved to be a big success and through the current school referral, I was offered to open another canteen in a neighboring school.

I am supposed to commence the operations in two months time but I need to prepare well in advance. There is a physical structure already but I need to equip the place. Top on the list is a gas cooker which will cost me USD 80 and a refrigerator at USD 200. I also need to buy many other things like cups, plates and an assortment of cutlery and this will consume the balance.

I am excited for this chance and I am optimistic that you will fund my ambitious project once more.

Thank you.