Spotlight on: Grace Nkhoma
This is Grace. She lives in Chimphunzi Village in the district of Nkata Bay in northern Malawi. Grace is a mother of six and grandmother of four. Her husband is often absent which means she is responsible for meeting all her family's needs. Living in a remote village, as she does, there are few opportunities to earn an income and so she struggled to support them.
Grace knew she needed to set up a small business if she was to earn enough to feed her children. Without any spare money, her only chance was to borrow from a bank. But Grace's nearest bank is a long bus ride away, and a loan application requires surety, which without land in her name is difficult to provide. The high interest rates also put her family at greater risk. So Grace was left unable to access the credit she needed to break the cycle of poverty her family faced.
With our support, Grace helped to set up a Village Savings and Loans Group where 15 members of her community come together each week to save a small amount. When they had saved 45,000 Kwacha (£86) they started giving out loans to their members. Grace's neighbours were able to buy livestock, set up small businesses and purchase iron sheets to improve their houses.
Grace started a bakery, and is now earning a steady income for her family. She also participated in our 'training of trainers' programme, providing her with skills in record keeping, which helps her to sustain the group. Now, families can continue to access the funds they need to build a future free from poverty.
"I have a small bakery and also sell fish locally, which has helped to boost our income. I no longer go door to door begging for salt or money in times of need. I am a star in Chimphunzi! I help to train both men and women interested in establishing village banks. I thank Find Your Feet for opening the gates of success, because now we can control our own destiny. We are optimistic that the project will open more avenues for us in the future."
Our goal over the next five years is to support 5,380 poor rural families, like Grace's, to increase their household incomes. This project is made possible by the Big Lottery Fund and the Development Fund.
Find out more about our work in Malawi.
