Project Updates

part of the shop stocks purchased with the help of Zidisha Loan

I have had a problem in cropping my photo but I hope this Photo in this comment can as well work.
Regards.

Merci chers prêteurs de visiter mon magasin a travers quelques photographies effectuées a votre attention.

i wish to thank every member of zidisha team for there continued support, am almost through with my second loan repayment and looking forward to request for the third loan,
we had a wonderful Christmas holiday with my family n started 2015 well, i hope u too are fine
the business for the last two months has been very slow and i cant tell the reason why but op it will pick in march
i just want to share with you the photo of me n my daughter during Christmas holiday n some of the things i make in my shop wish to hear from you too soon
one photo i took with Liz who was sent by zidisha team to come and check on my business and see how i was doing.
that was last year in september,

Thank you soo much

I must say am so grateful to my lenders and to all the zidisha fraternity. My previous loan has really helped me meet the requirements for my son's education. I was transferring him to another school so i was able to get new uniforms, shoes socks and school fees. on top of that i was able to buy materials for curtains. am so thankfull.

thank guys for coming to my rescue, I Now have another person to assist me undertake this great work, business is good. now my next venture shall be buying a new desktop to establish a cyber cafe

Morning my friendly lenders. just wanted to let you know that through the profit I got from your lending, i managed to buy several text books and learning charts for my first born boy who graduated from baby to middle class in a nearby pre unit. Thanks be to the Almighty for enabling you to bring us this far.may God bless the entire zidisha team. good and blessed day.

I have paid part of my fees thank you Lenders

Dear Lenders,

I had to go pretty far in the north of Ghana and visit some elephants on the way, but I finally got to meet Godwin last week in Bolgatanga. The capital of the Upper East region in northern Ghana, Bolga is relatively small but boasts the bustle and energetic feel of a much larger city. I met Godwin in his home where he lives near his mother’s Spot, or local bar, and his brothers. He is soft-spoken and responsible – the oldest of three and, since their father passed away three years ago, a provider as well.

Godwin got his degree in computer science but after spending his national service year as a teacher, realized he had found his calling: a place where he could use his skills to help the community he grew up in. Now he teaches ICT skills in a village just outside of Bolga – an area that struggles to find qualified computer teachers.

Although many students only have access to technology at school, even that doesn’t amount to much. The few computers that schools do have are out of date, occasionally in disrepair, and can’t access the internet. Adding further challenge, there are so few of them that as many as eight students have to crowd around each screen during class. Godwin does what he can in borrowing friends’ laptops to use at the school and repairing equipment pro bono. But he wants to establish a cyber café near the school to offer students internet access and the opportunity to gain the technological skill necessary if they want to keep up with the industry.

Godwin has used his first Zidisha loan to help him repair and sell computer hardware, which he does in his spare time in his office. This extra income helps him keep his youngest brother in school while also saving up to contribute to a proper computer center to serve the community and local students. He admits that when he heard about Zidisha from his friend, he thought it was a joke. But having put his first loan into action, Godwin is incredibly grateful for the support of his lenders and very excited for the future. I had a great, albeit too short, stay in Bolga and am glad to have met Godwin. We wish him the best!

Taylor
Ghana Country Ambassador
Zidisha

I am most grateful to Zidisha lenders for putting me in business.
Myself n my shop serving a customer.

Thanks for what you converted me to

This is the food warmer after purchase

I used my first loan to purchase this incubator pictured below and feed for my current stock.

My name is Kerry and I am a Client Relationship Intern for Zidisha in Nairobi. Today I had the opportunity to meet Paul Okun, a leather worker in Nairobi. Paul is new to Zidisha and just received his first loan, which has enabled him to purchase a curve cutting machine. This allows him to cut leather leaving a rounded edge instead of just relying on his scissors which produce a square edge.

Paul was born and raised in Spring Valley, a neighborhood of Nairobi. He still lives on the compound that he and his six brothers and sisters were raised in. In fact, Paul, his mother, and four of his siblings and their families still live in the compound. It can feel very crowded and this may be why his father relocated upcountry to his village of Oyugis. Paul credits the success of his business to his father, since he has always pushed him and helped him financially.

After high school, Paul's grades weren't good enough to study at college, not that he was too interested anyway. He realized he was more interested in working with his and hands and different materials. Together with a colleague, they began building crafts from computer designs. This turned building and apolstering furniture. Paul would sell wooden chairs from his father's compound, however since the competiton was fierce, he began producing leather products like folders and coasters. He secured his first big deal with Zehineria Hotel in Westlands. He made them their menu folders, later coasters and eventually Zehineria asked Paul to make 200 conference pads for business meetings. Below are photos of all these products.

Only yesterday, with the purchase of the curve cutting machine, Paul secured a deal with Kenya Scout to make 10,000 scouts, which are used to hold women's head scarves together at the base of the neck. This is a huge deal, and it is thanks to Paul and his charisma and persistence, but also to Zidisha lenders. Without the machine, Paul could not have produced the curved edges needed for the scouts.

In the future, Paul is looking to continue securing contracts with this company to produce pouches and belts. He wants to use these profits and loans from Zidisha to purchase more machines like a laser engraving machine and hole punching machine. This way he can avoid outsourcing. LIke a true businessman he wants to control all lines of production. This will aslo lead to hiring more employees. Already with the new deal he his able to bring his orphaned cousin to Nairobi from upcountry. The cousin will work for him and in return Paul will provide room and board and pay for his college fees.

After his meeting with me, Paul was headed to Kibera, the largest slum in Nairobi. There he works with small business owners to teach them how to market their products. He also plans on spreading awareness of Zidisha. The next time we meet, I will check out his workshop in a neighborhood outside of Nairobi. I am leather lover, so I plan on doing some shopping.

Hi lenders,

Am grateful to all who supported my loan because my profit has increased approximately by 70% and I want to use partly to buy more utensils so that more customers can be served well. Thanks Zidisha lenders !

The pit latrine you saw last week now has slab put on it.it actually costed me Ksh.15,000.Now i have my eyes fixed upon repaying the loan as well as looking for other means of putting up the walls,floors,doors,urinals and painting before the kids start using the new toilet.Actually the project will cost Ksh.60,000.Thank you zidisha and my lenders one more time for investing in our life,more so for helping us address one of the biggest challenges of our time.(equal, affordable and modern education for all )

Thank you for posting the picture! That's great that you were able to put the shop on Google Maps, hopefully this helps your business to grow even more!
Let me know if you do decide to create a website at some point, my husband and I would love to see it, and possibly help with content editing if you would like. I used to work for a company that improved the content of clients' websites, and I work as a translator/editor now, so I would be happy to help at no cost if you would like. The offer is there, so feel free to ask if you are interested, whenever you are ready :)

a mother pig with her piglets feeding in an open area. This is the best i trust in the flock for her good mothering ability

Just added three more plastic chairs, once more just to say thank you to all zidisha staff and lending persons. for now have bought eight plastic chairs.

Thank you to zidisha, I love what am doing through your help. I serve my customers with respect and hey enjoy my services. After buying chairs? customers enjoy my services.

And these others are a compilation of photos inside and during the services of daily basis in the same place and some of my workers as they try to serve my customers in the respective place.

This evening I am so excited and so happy. Whoever thinks Zidisha is a myth should just come and experience this. That I have my loan approved, funded and disbursed in such a short time - I do not have enough words to thank the Zidisha community.
Thanks to all the lenders who made this my loan come through.
Special regards to Hedwich who has been in the front line of all my 3 loans. Thanks Hedwich and all the other lenders for the much confidence you have had in me.
I already bought the amaranthus seed and the first ground is ready for planting. 2 other portions of land are in the process and should be ready in the course of the week.
Concerning my community activities at Zidisha I am glad to be availed the opportunity to be a VM and I already have 5 assigned members. Since I cannot pay back the goodness I have received from Zidisha, this is the only way - to help others benefit from the resources available at Zidisha.

Zidi the cow

Hello Amos,

I am happy to share recent good fortune with you. I am a gardener ans grow tomatoes each season, as well as other vegetables. Sometimes I'm successful, sometimes things could be better.

Good luck with your garden.

Ed Sikorski

My Potatoes

The chicks relaxing in their coop.

This is me with my brood of one and a half weeks. They will be ready in four weeks time.

My son Morgan is now in class 2 and the increased earnings are helping me even pay for his school fees.Attached is his photo he was happy too when i told him about Zidisha

Now my knee can move with less pain

Hi lenders.. this is to update you on positive change, an idea that i got after i received the cash, I got a client who needed internet at his house and considering the fact that he lives in an apartment which is at a far distance to where my current internet coverage radius was, i bought a second hand WAP and i used it to pull internet and set up an up WI-FI around that area, I am happy that i have now connected 3 more clients which is an extra income to me. The clients are happy that they can now surf at home and work online from home. I am much grateful to zidisha fraternity.. Thanks alot team!

Hi Lenders.
Here is a photo of myself at at the gate of the country's leading Seed Company when I went to buy seeds.
Again, thanks for the funds.

This are the items i managed to purchase which costed $27.50

A larger photo of my stall

Me in my shop.I will post the new photos soon.A Zidisha mentor helped me put the shop on google map.Styles Gold barbershop in Bungoma.Hope i can open a website and be ahead of others too

I would like to thank Zidisha for their support towards my project
I wish to improve my chicken rearing project, The photos shows the structure i have built to house 500 chicken

Zidi the cow

still at shop

SERVING CUSTOMERS IN MY SHOP IS THE FIRST PRIORITY AND THIS IS MY WEALTH I LIKE AND LOVE MY JOB.

THIS IS ME JUST RELAXING IN MY HOME AREA

Bought a new printer Epson TX800 with the loan that I got and now my business is still growing from one level to the other.
Thanks to Zidisha Team

These are more pictures of the tomatoes project. Thank you, lenders, for your kindness. My promise to you is to be faithful in the repayment of my loan, to enable others to receive the same assistance.

Dear lenders, i am very grateful for the loan that you gave me to install electricity to my rental housing business. i am very happy because i was able to pay 166 dollars to the Kenya Power and Lighting Company as deposit for the installation of electricity. I also spent 29 dollars to pay for my transportation cost to and from the Kenya power and Lighting Company Offices. The total amount for the full installation will be 498 dollars. Therefore, i will still be required to clear a balance of 332 dollars. I am really thankful for your generosity. I am happy because i know Once the electricity is fully installed, my houses will even appeal more to my tenants and my business will even be better. After installation of Electricity, i will also be required to install piped water and also build hygienic toilets after which i will now construct more rental houses.

And now here are some of the foods we prepare foe our customers:-this one is roasted beef meat ready for consumption.

This is now the main part of the restaurant with my customers while sited for their meals.

this is the inner side of the same where the cashier is as she continue to serve the customers while they pay.

This is the front part of the restaurant where customers pay and request their orders to be served

At work

My lenders, I appreciate every sacrifice you have made to help me with my tomatoes project. The project is progressing well, as shown in the pictures of the project. I still need your assistance to market the already-ripe tomatoes and to extend the project further in order to lift the standard of living of my family and to further my studies. Thank you very much, my lenders!!!

My name is Kerry, and I am a Client Relationship Intern in Kenya. Today I had the opportunity of meeting Nicodemus, and I wanted to give you an update on how he is doing.

I met with Nicodemus at the Koja roundabout in downtown Nairobi. The roundabout is possibly one of the busiest intersections in the world. It is a swarm of Matatus (buses), piki pikis (motorcycles) and people hurrying along. I knew I would never find Nicodemus, but luckily since I am a Mizungu (foreigner) with a bicycle I am very easy to find.

Nicodemus is a tall young man, who works and studies in downtown Nairobi. He was so sweet, taking my bike for me and pushing it through the crowded streets of Nairobi. We arrived at his school within about 5 minutes. This is where NIcodemus studiesAccounting. So far Nicodemus has his 2nd section CPA and going for his 3rd, eventually he will try to go all the way up to the 6th, the highest, but he is only 23 so has plenty of time. At school he takes three night classes - Financial Accounting, Entrepreneurship, and Introduction to Law. When I asked him what his favorite he quickly responded FInancial Accounting.

Nicodemus says he has always been good in math and has a true love of numbers. He was inspired to go to this specific school, since his Pastor had studied there and recommended it. It is in the perfect location, since it's only a five minute walk from his work, where we went next. He got the job around a year ago at Ignite, which specializes in laser printing and engraviing. He said it was one of the proudest moments for him. He is very grateful for Zidisha because with the loan, he is able to pay his tuition which will help him grow within his company as well as help his mother out. He is an only child and his mother owns and runs a hardware store out in East Nairobi. He said his mother almost had to give it up when the Kenyan government was deciding to expand and pave the road. Luckily it dodged her roadside store.

Nicodemus wakes up at 4am and studies for two hours, goes to work at around 8 to 5 and then class from around 6-8. When he has free time he loves watching movies and he sings in his church choir. He even sang a bit for me! LIke all other aspects of his life, Nicodemus is determined in the choir as well. He told me he hopes to become lead singer soon.
Below are some pictures of him at work and school!