“I think we better abolish the visa regime and I am going to inform my government so that anybody with a South Sudanese or Ugandan travel document can walk into each other’s country and trade freely.”

….that comes from Otafire, Ugandan Minister of Commerce. [Source: Roving Bandit]

In this week’s Kiva Pledge Update I am supporting John Lubowa, who currently rides a boda-boda in Lugazi, Uganda.

According to his Kiva business page:

Lubowa John is the leader of his lending group in Lugazi. He is 36 years old, married, and has five children aged 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13. They are all in primary school. John also takes care of seven dependants, including orphans.

John is a hardworking man and has been a boda-boda rider for Lugazi Town Council for the past five years. He shows good customer care towards his clients. His business is seasonal, which affects his cash flow. He is able to make 20,000 UGX a week profit. He has a dream of buying his own bike so that he could earn a larger income and continue to educate his children to the last level. John is requesting a loan to purchase a cow (with a top-up from his savings) so that he could sell milk to diversify his family income.

Stay tuned for the next Kiva Pledge Update on November 22nd.

In this week’s Kiva Pledge Update I am supporting Ayub Mupere’s Group, who is currently operating a clothing boutique in Lugazi, Uganda.

According to their Kiva business page:

Mupere Ayub has had a boutique in Bukamunye for one and a half years. He is a married man with nine children between the ages of 1 and 18, as he takes care of his siblings. He is a determined man and he is lucky that he is able to make 80,000/= profit a week. Before having a boutique, Ayub was a fisherman. He does not regret the change, although his business is affected by high competition. He ensures that he treats his customers well and has quality clothes for resale; hence, more sales. In the future, Ayub wants to be a wholesaler so that he can build a house for his family.

Ayub needs a loan to be able to restock his boutique with more clothes for a steady supply of products. He is the leader of his lending group in Lugazi.

Stay tuned for the next Kiva Pledge Update on November 8th.

In this week’s Kiva Pledge Update I am supporting Margaret Nankabirwa’s Group, who is currently operating a secondhand clothing store in Kampala, Uganda.

According to their Kiva business page:

Nankabirwa Margaret is the leader of her lending group in Namasuba. She is a young woman who is obsessed with the desire to succeed through hard work. She is not yet married and has no child.

Margaret has a business selling secondhand clothes and has a shop in central Kampala. She joined her lending group to be able to access more capital for her business since she could not find any other alternative and, sincerely, she has found it worthwhile. She wants to be an independent lady and, even if she gets married, not leave everything to her husband.

Margaret needs a loan to be able to buy more clothes for increased variety, leading to increased sales and hence more income and profits.

Stay tuned for the next Kiva Pledge Update on October 25th.

In this week’s Kiva Pledge Update I am supporting Semugenya James’ Group, who is currently operating a general store in Lugazi, Uganda.

According to their Kiva business page:

Semugenya James is a hardworking woman with a retail shop in Lweru trading centre. She is 45 years old and married. She is responsible for twelve children between the ages of four and 24 years, some her own and some, orphans.

Semugenya used to be a farmer but was affected by the drop in price of produce and so changed to retail sales. From her shop she makes 200,000 UGX in profits, mostly attributable to the use of her loan and the quality of her products.

At the moment, Semugenya is requesting a loan to restock her shop with more goods and to pay for part of her children’s school fees. Semugenya dreams of becoming a wholesaler as well as educating her children to the highest level.

Stay tuned for the next Kiva Pledge Update on October 11th.

In case you need a refresher on the benefits the Uganda Skateboard Union is providing to the community and youth of Kitintale, re-read my original blog post.

If you’re interested in helping them out, head on over to their site and contact them for more details.

In this week’s Kiva Pledge Update I am supporting Androa Alfred Bayo, who operates a mobile phone shop in Koboko, Uganda.

According to his Kiva business page:

Bayo Androa Alfred is aged thirty-two year old, married and blessed with one child. He is more so looking after two dependents that are schooling. He owns a rental shop which is known as Chemical tech located along main road in Koboko town. He has been operating his business since the year 2002 so far seven years. He is using the loan to purchase phone accessories that is selling phones, phone housings, batteries and more so repairing phones for his customers and so forth. Bayo is a hardworking business man whose dream is to prosper in life.

Stay tuned for the next Kiva Pledge Update on September 13th.

In this week’s Kiva Pledge Update I am supporting Sylvia Mbabazi in Uganda, a businesswoman who deals in stationary and computer services in Kibuli, Uganda.

According to her Kiva business page:

Mbabazi Sylvia is a businesswoman. She is 36-years old and single. She deals in stationery items and she also renders computer services and photocopying. She has been in her business for over 10 years. She is using the loan to purchase stationery items such as reams of paper, charts, pens and pencils, ink, manila papers etc. Her future dream is to build rental houses.

Stay tuned for the next Kiva Pledge Update on May 24th.

In this week’s Kiva Pledge Update I am supporting Annet Nambi‘s Group in Uganda, which sells vegetables in the outskirts of Kampala. The store is run by Annet Nambi and the 3 members which make up the Annet Nambi Group.

According to their Kiva business page:

Annet, 48, is married and has six children, all between the ages of 15 and 30. Three of her children attend school, while the rest already work. Annet’s elder brother is helping her pay the school fees. Annet also takes care of additional family members and lives in a three-room house with no piped water. She lives and works on the outskirts of Kampala. Annet earns income selling vegetables from a rented stall. She sells to an average of 30 people per day and works six days per week. Annet’s main monthly expenses include rent for the stall, school fees, and medication. She does not incur any transportation costs, because she buys the produce from a place close to her business location. Annet’s main business challenges are related to the weather, especially the rainy season which disturbs the customer flow, and the seasonality of the produce that she sells.
Annet is the leader of a 5-member loan group. She has been with MCDT for over six years and is now asking for her 12th loan which she will share with her group mates. Annet plans to use her loan share to increase the stock of produce, buying directly from farmers, and hopes to also build several rental rooms on a plot of land that she was able to buy using her previous loans.

Stay tuned for the next Kiva Pledge Update on May 10th.

In this week’s Kiva Pledge Update I am supporting the Sendiwanyo Oliver Group in Uganda, which sells charcoal in the outskirts of Kampala. The store is run by Sendiwanyo Oliver and the 3 members which make up the Sendiwanyo Oliver Group.

According to their Kiva business page:

Oliver, 43, is married and has 3 children, all between the ages of 14 and 20. She lives in a rented house that does not have piped water. Oliver’s house and work place are located on the outskirts of Kampala. To earn income, Oliver sells charcoal at her home to an average of 20 people per day seven days a week. Oliver buys charcoal from delivery vans and therefore does not incur any transportation costs. Her main monthly expenses include rent, electricity, and school fees. She has been in this business for the last two years, and her main business challenges at present include the increasing price of charcoal and rental charges.
Oliver is the the leader of a 5-member loan group; she has been with MCDT for over three years and is now asking for her fifth loan. She wants to use this loan to buy more charcoal and possibly rent her her own business premises.

Stay tuned for the next Kiva Pledge Update on April 26th.