Funded over £46K of micro-loans to entrepreneurs
Jul 2015Deki
Charity Partner
Being an entrepreneur isn't just for young people. Meet Josephine.
Josephine Atoo Otema at 70 years is one of Deki’s oldest entrepreneurs and has lived through hard times – she is undoubtedly an amazing woman. She lives in Palabek Kal in Uganda, a hot and arid, sparsely populated place where she has been a refugee from the war in South Sudan for over 20 years. Josephine has seven children, one of which has died, and 10 grandchildren. Eight of Josephine’s grandchildren still live with her and she helps support them. Her husband has also recently been sick.
Josephine is a strong and much respected character in the local tightly knit community. She is also a group leader for Deki microloans in the village. The love and respect the people of the village have for her is clear - many women speak to her about their businesses, their homes, children, husbands, crops and every other aspect of life which she may be able to advise on.
As part of her job as a group leader, Josephine oversees implementing of Deki loans. She makes sure their loan is the correct amount for their business and checks they know how to invest it properly. Josephine’s help and guidance is invaluable and in the absence of traditional banks and community business training programmes, many rely upon her.
Josephine has now been able to apply for her own small loan of £130 to expand her market business. She trades mainly in maize sprouts – used for local brewing, silver fish and white beans. With her loan she is able to by increased stock at lower prices. Josephine’s business is doing well and her income has dramatically increased since taking out her loan.
With the extra income Josephine is now able to send her youngest daughter to university in Gulu to study agriculture. This is especially important, as no one in the family has been to University before especially a woman. She hopes in the future she will be able to help all 10 grandchildren to follow in her daughter’s footsteps…
As Josephine’s pays back her loan it is now being re-invested by Deki lenders into more life changing loans.
Thanks to Be One Percent Members we have now made over £46,000 in micro-loans to entreprenears like Josephine and this donation pot will be recycled again and again. Giving is good!
See all of the loans the 1%Pot has made here
Deki tackles the root cause of poverty by providing ethical micro loans at grass roots level, coupled with business management and financial literacy training, as well as community development activities. They work in rural and hard to reach areas with those who are excluded from traditional financial services and the training that they need to develop sustainable livelihoods, become financially resilient and create brighter futures for the next generation They deliver projects that focus on sustainable change by helping people to help themselves. These include women's empowerment workshops, youth support programmes and health initiatives giving communities access to health care through affordable health insurance.
