Micro-Finance Stories

One might not expect to find fresh locally made yogurt so close to the equator, but one young woman has made this her business.

In 2017, Nashipai started a yogurt business. She orders 40 L of milk from Arusha and each day she transfers the milk to buckets where she makes  small containers of strawberry and vanilla yogurt and stores them in a fridge that she was able to buy with a business loan from TEMBO. Young and enthusiastic, Nashipai recalls that her business started by selling eggs, one tray at a time or even one egg at a times. Now she is happy that her yogurt business is growing and that she can support her young daughter.

On the main street in Longido, strategically placed near where the motorcyclists gather, Elinaisha owns a parts store to repair motorcycles. When you enter her shop, she greets you from behind a counter in a space filled with automotive parts. She points to tires and plugs  and light bulbs and more, naming them off as she points. Clients bring a list of what is required and she orders the parts that she does not carry from Arusha.

Elinaisha worked from home at first, but since she opened her shop on the main street six years ago, her business has grown.  She works alone although her children help out on school holidays. With the help of a TEMBO micro-finance loan, Elinaisha was able to expand her stock and pay for rent. If she could grow bigger, she would add service and parts for cars and trucks and for gutas (three-wheeled motorized vehicles).

Adelina’s tailoring shop is a family affair. Working alongside her husband, Adelina, who learned to sew from friends, has been in business for five years. Inside the crowded shop, she works on two sewing machines, both hand operated. Her husband sews on the porch while family members use a charcoal-filled iron at a crowded table in the corner.

With the help of a loan from TEMBO, Adelina was able to buy material to sew school uniforms. She is proud that her business is growing with the increasing demand for school uniforms and pants and dresses for the community.

What does she charge to sew uniforms? Pants are 8000 Tsh (about $4.50) and skirts 6000Tsh (about $3.50).