#350 Micro Enterprise

Updates to This Project

Permalink Update from Doug Penner on June 9, 2011 at 10:15am

FRED WALUGEMBE SSUNA

Age: 46

Business Location: Kassanda, Mubende Uganda

Type of Business: Coffee Farmer

Amount of loan: 500,000 UGX

Interest: 4% per month over a period of 6 months

Fred has three years of agricultural business experience and has a strong understanding of his business cycle. Fred currently owns agricultural land which primarily grows coffee crops. His crops are suffering from producing low yields resulting in low revenue. He has limited capital to purchase the fertilizers and herbicides he needs to increase his harvest. Long droughts have caused his coffee flowers to dry up.

Fred’s short term goals with the loan are to purchase fertilizers and herbicides for his crops. He also plans to dig water channels to provide better irrigation.

Fred’s long term business goals are to dig up a water reservoir and purchase a water pump for his crops during the dry season. He also wants to acquire a motorcycle to transport his crops to and from the market. Eventually, Fred plans to establish a processing plant for his crops.

If Fred receives the loan his quality of his crop yield will improve 50% from the use of fertilizers and herbicides. His plants also won’t wither and dry out because of his plans for water irrigation during the droughts.

Permalink Update from Doug Penner on June 9, 2011 at 10:17am

SOPHIA NAKABIITO
Age: 42
Business Location: Kibibi Garage, Mityana, Uganda
Type of Business: Food Catering
Amount of loan: 500,000 UGX
Interest: 4% per month over a period of 6 months
Sophia has five years experience in food catering for special functions. She is very hard-working, creative and has a reputation in the community for her excellent catering skills. Sophia currently lacks the capital to be able to move her catering business forward to a commercial scale. She needs a loan in order to buy a three-stand oven so that she can bake cakes which are in high demand. Currently, she has to travel long distances to rent an oven for her baking. If she receives a loan to buy it she will be able to save money on travel and oven renting expenses. Sophia will be able to focus on meeting the demand for baked goods and her business will grow on a commercial scale. Sophia’s long term goals include constructing a bigger bakery and starting a retail grocery shop from her home.

Permalink Update from Doug Penner on June 9, 2011 at 10:17am

FLORENCE NABASERUKA (on the right)

Age: 49
Business Location: Busimbi Railway, Mityana Uganda
Type of Business: Retail Grocery.
Amount of loan: 300,000 UGX
Interest: 4% per month over a period of 6 months
Florence has been working in her shop for one and a half years. She has a strategic location in proximity to the market and is knowledgeable about her fast moving products by customer demand (soap, sugar, rice, beans, soda, cooking oil). Her shop is currently under-stocked in her fast moving products and when customers come to the shop she cannot meet their product demands. If Florence receives the loan she will be able to restock her fast moving products immediately and her sales revenue will increase 5%. Customers demands will be satisfied and they will keep on returning to the shop.

Permalink Update from Doug Penner on June 9, 2011 at 10:18am

JULIET NAJJUUKO KATEREGGA
Age: 37
Business Location: Kibibi Garage, Mityana Uganda
Type of Business: Pharmacy
Amount of loan: 500,000 UGX
Interest: 4% per month over a period of 6 months
Loan Purpose: Restocking medicinal items and supplying more medicinal to meet the public demand.
5 years experience and medical personnel for more experience and knowledge.
Juliet has worked as a pharmacist and midwife for about five years. She is very knowledgeable in the medical field and has a high level of experience. She is trusted in the community as a qualified midwife. Her pharmacy shop has a good strategic location in the community but is currently under-stocked and she cannot meet the demands of the community’s medical needs. If Juliet receives a loan then she will be able to stock her pharmacy with more medicine and better provide her important services to her patients. Juliet’s long term goals are to expand her medical operation and purchase electricity for her shop.

Permalink Update from Doug Penner on June 9, 2011 at 10:19am

CHRISTINE NZARAMBA (on left)

Age: 52
Business Location: Kasambya Kitinkokola, Mityana Uganda
Type of Business: Chapati Food Sales and Retail Shop
Amount of loan: 300,000 UGX
Interest: 4% per month over a period of 6 months
Christine has owned her shop for one year. Her homemade chapatis are craved by the surrounding community and very fast moving (180 per day). She has a strategic location with high pedestrian traffic. Christine does not have the necessary items to make enough chapatis to meet her customer demands. With a loan she will be able to purchase enough wheat flour and cooking oil to make more chapatis so that she does not lose out on any customers. She will also be able to restock her other fast moving items (sugar, salt, soda, and beans) to satisfy customer needs.
Christine’s long term goals are very crucial. Her one roomed rented shop (in the picture) also functions as her home where she sleeps. Her home is so small and suffocating at night lacking any windows. She really needs to be able to gain enough capital so that she can move to a bigger, healthier place.

Permalink Update from Doug Penner on June 9, 2011 at 10:19am

RUTH NAKIRIJJA (on left)

Age: 30
Business Location: Namukozi, Mityana Uganda
Type of Business: Piggery
Amount of loan: 300,000 UGX
Interest: 4% per month over a period of 6 months
Ruth has three years experience raising pigs to sell. There is a high demand for pork in the local market. Ruth currently has 21 pigs at different stages of growth. She does not have enough money to feed all of her pigs. The pigsty only has four rooms and cannot accommodate all of her pigs. The drainage and sanitation in the pens is poor.
Ruth needs money to feed her pigs so that they can stay alive. Four of her pigs will be ready for sale in a couple weeks as long as she can give them enough food (otherwise she will be forced to sell at a rate which may not be profitable for her). Her requested loan will be able to purchase enough feed and medication (dewormers) to keep her pigs in a healthy condition.
Ruth’s long-term goals are to expand the pigsty to accommodate all her pigs and to stock larger quantities of feed and medication. Ruth also needs to invest in a bicycle so that she can fetch more water for her pigs.

Permalink Update from Doug Penner on June 9, 2011 at 10:20am

MICHAEL LULE KIVUMBI
Age: 33
Business Location: Mpirigwa Mityana Uganda
Type of Business: Farming
Amount of loan: 500,000 UGX
Interest: 4% per month over a period of 6 months
Michael has five years experience in farming and is very skilled in his trade. He currently has a sugar cane plantation which he will harvest in June this year. Michael wants to diversify his income crops and use a loan to prepare ground for a banana plantation. He will not be able to plant at the beginning of the rainy season in March unless he receives a loan. In the long run, Michael aims to expand his garden to over one acre.

Permalink Update from Doug Penner on June 9, 2011 at 10:30am

Withdrawal slips:

Permalink Update from Doug Penner on August 9, 2011 at 9:07am

Copies of the minutes from the group's meeting.... 6 of 7 attended. All loans being repaid. Challenges include raised taxes, inflation and drought.....