Gerardine, 36, is married with five children aged five up to sixteen years. For the past thirteen years she has sold foodstuffs such as maize flour and cassava flour. She is also the leader of this group named Duhozanye, which means “consolation” in English. The group members sell different items, and they all have the same motivation to change their lives.
On behalf of her group Gerardine has applied for a 4,370,000 RWF loan through Kiva’s field partner Urwego Opportunity Bank to be apportioned among the members. She will use her share of the loan to buy more maize flour and cassava flour to sell. She will use her profits to pay school fees for her children and add to her savings.
In this group: Marie Claudine, Marie Chantal, Julienne, Astherie*, Vestine, Gaudence, Gerardine, Emmanuel, Esperance, Chantal, Annonciatha, Agnes, Fortunee, Dantine, Epiphanie, Francois Xavier, Francine, Venantie, Floride*, Alice, Angelique, Zaugiya, Angelique, Manasse, Henriette*, Mukamugabo , Julienne, Angelique
*not pictured
This loan is special because:
Elizabeth Davidson
Kiva staff
More about this loan
About Urwego Opportunity Bank, a partner of Opportunity International and HOPE International:
Urwego Opportunity Bank (UOB) helps underserved Rwandans by providing its clients with the necessary credit and savings capabilities required for economic transformation. It offers credit products, including group and individual loans, as well as training in business development, financial literacy and health management. UOB loan products leverage social collateral since most group members have little to no collateral.