Inside Our Business Development Program
This Week at Orant: Inside Our Business Development Program
This week, we are so excited to dive deep into our Business Development program. In today’s blog article, we share more about how the program began, how it works and the inspiring milestones we have reached so far.
The Beginning: Financially Empowering Microloans for Women
Our Business Development journey began in 2017 with a simple yet powerful initiative called Financially Empowering Microloans (FEM) for Women program, which was introduced to support women in our community who were trapped in cycles of poverty. The FEM program was designed to provide zero-interest microloans to eligible women, who apply for loans and present their business plans. The eligible applicants are then grouped into small groups of 10–15 women. Each woman runs her own business independently and repays the loan in equal installments over five months. Once they finish repaying their loans, they are given a chance to apply for another loan, helping them to boost their business capital more.
Why Work in Groups?
Even though each woman operates her own business and repays her own loan, we group them together to build strength through unity. The Chichewa saying “Mu umodzi muli mphamvu,” meaning “in unity, there is power,” guides our approach. Being part of a group encourages the women to share experiences, support one another, learn, and progress together.
Beyond Loans
Within these groups, the women also form Village Savings & Loans (VS&L) initiatives. Every week, they meet to save a portion of their business proceeds from as low as 1,000 MWK ($0.58 USD). These savings act as a safety net, helping members access additional funds in the form of a loan, which supports them during tough business times and avoid defaulting on their FEM loans.
But it doesn’t stop there. Participants also receive regular training on various business-related topics. One of our key resources is our own Umodzi Village Business Manual, a training guide, available in both English and Chichewa. This manual is also distributed to other entrepreneurs within our community, helping to equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to manage and grow their businesses effectively.
Over the past years, we are excited to see FEM women expanding into group businesses and savings projects. For example, some groups buy maize in bulk and resell it at a profit. Others have tapped into their crafting skill, knitting and crocheting baby hats and booties which they later sell to our Kasese Maternity Ward. Proceeds from these initiatives then go into group savings, preparing them to continue running their businesses effectively even after they graduate from the program, and become fully self-reliant.
Our Impact So Far
To date, we have supported 96 businesses in our community, with 6 groups comprising a total of 80 active members currently engaged in the program.
“We are especially proud that 5 women have successfully graduated from Microloans and are now taking on medium-sized loans to invest further in their ventures,” says Tango Phiri, our Business Development Program Manager.
We are inspired by the resilience and determination of every woman in this program. Many thanks to our generous donors who have built safety nets for these women, helping them to send their children to school, build better homes and comfortably provide for their households.
