CPAR Uganda Ltd

“My name is Margie, from Kacilo Village, Sangai Parish, Ochelakur Sub-County. I tried to borrow from many people from whom I hoped to get money from but I failed. I also had a group where we save some little monies, but it was like every member from the group needed money, so the group committee decided to put me on a waiting list that would make me receive that money after two weeks.

When I went to Robert, I was told that they will lend me money without disturbing me. That saved me a lot. The interest rate was fair compared to that of the group, since in the group we are charged 20 percent and Robert gave me at 15 percent. It relieved me a lot. I first borrowed UShs. 10,000 (US$ 2.60) to top up on my business of tomatoes selling. I paid it back at the end of the month and I kept on borrowing and paying back just like that.

I am happy that my business can make me buy food for the family. At the end of the day, I buy sugar and salt and I am no longer like other women here in the village. I started with only tomatoes and now I grind and sell groundnut paste, mukene (dried silver fish), avocado, which I buy from Kalaki and then sell. I hope to progress with this business because it is helping me and my family a lot. Our men from this side are lazy at working, so they wait for food on the table. I think of borrowing more money to increase on the level of my business and also see myself develop even more.”

Robert Oluka, Rural Development Innovator under CPAR Uganda mentorship: “I feel blessed that in a humble way I am contributing to helping very enterprising and hardworking women, such as Margie, in my home village. This is something that I would never have thought about before I benefited from the CPAR Uganda Mentoring Young Adults in Uganda into Innovators Against Poverty Project. I am grateful that as I continue my mentoring journey with CPAR Uganda, I am learning and being motivated to raise funds to be able to benefit more disadvantaged women and also to be able to give bigger loans to them.”

Robert’s actions in his home village have inspired us, at CPAR Uganda, to raise funds so that we can make it easier for grassroots women from disadvantaged communities to access finance. To read more about our project and to make a donation, click here.