Makomo Friends Youth Group

Activities:

Poultry, firewood, rabbits

Initial Beneficiaries:

30 young adult Quakers

Seed Funding Date:

Spring 2016

Maragoli, where this group is located, has some significant economic challenges: food insecurity, high poverty levels, poor health standards, and illiteracy and high unemployment among women and youths.

This youth group is trying to work together to provide better outcomes for themselves. The initial members all received a first loan of $100.

As of their six-month report 24 of the members had paid back their initial loans already and had received second loan of $50 to open personal businesses to supplement their collective businesses (the other 6 members were still in repayment). Their businesses were going well and have resulted in a great improvement of living standards for the members.

Beneficiary Stories

Eppiness Uside

Eppiness Uside is the Chairwoman of the Makomo Friends Youth Group, a group of young adult Friends that received an RSWR grant in Spring 2016. Eppiness used her initial $50 loan to buy chickens so she could sell their eggs. The business did so well, she was able to pay back her first loan quickly, and then she received a second loan of $100 to expand her chicken business. After that was repaid, she received a $200 loan to open a food kiosk! She now runs both of the businesses and they continue to grow, and is proud of her hard work and successes.