A32. Micro-businesses in Zambia

A BRIEF BACK GROUND

Mrs. Cecilia NALUMBWE is a married woman and a mother of four children whose main source of income is the selling Munkoyo. Munkoyo it is a traditional beverage made of maize porridge which is enjoyed by many Zambian people regardless of gender and age. Mrs. Cecilia has been into the Munkoyo business for a number years and the business has helped her feed her family at home, pay house rentals as well as school fees for her children. Interestingly enough, she has also tried hard to pass on the Munkoyo making skill to others, including households with financial instability,  as way of empowering them. Notably, Munkoyo is fast selling product that a business will never regret to venture into.

CECILIA’S BUSINESS BEFORE GETTING the HR&S LOAN

Mrs. Cecilia informs about how hard it becomes during rainy season to conduct her Munkoyo business. This is because during rainy season the price of maize bags increases, which in return affects the effective production of the Munkoyo beverage.

HOW HR&S LOAN HAS HELPED

The loan from HR&S has helped Mrs. Cecilia in such a way that she has been able to buy maize fertilizer, which used for maize to grow well. She therefore assured that this coming rainy season would be the best for her to do Munkoyo business with nothing to worry about, as she is boasted to have enough bags of maize harvested.

GENERAL EXPERIENCE WITH HR&S 

Mrs. Cecilia shows that she is excitement over HR&S flexible interest rates which she points out to be outstanding among other loan giving companies she has visited. This has also massively drawn the attention of many other small business, men and women, in the area where she lives. Mrs. Cecilia also informed about that HR&S has come at the right time, when the government is calling for more entrepreneurs. The HR&S has seriously come to help the hopeless,  and empowered small enterprises to be able to grow their businesses.

Cecilia is indeed a happy business lady who further appreciates HR&S as a “magnet” which is there to hold small businesses, including those on the verge of failing and to push them grow. HR&S also enables entrepreneurs to integrate other businesses as well. Mrs. Cecilia expresses her appreciation to the members of HR&S Zambia and of HR&S Sweden for the good agenda, she could only wish God’s blessings.

FUTURE AMBITIONS 

Mrs. Cecilia reiterates the need of continuous partnership with HR&S as she plans to register her Munkoyo business with Zambian PACRA. Also taking into account are the stickers or labels she designed to be put around the Munkoyo bottles. Cecilia has a vision of growing the business into a company, and not only that, but also desires to incorporate the fish business to supplement her plans. So far Cecilia does not have employees from outside, but only works with her children.