By Divican Tochi, Zidisha member in Kenya
Before I start to narrate my story first and fore most my sincere thanks goes to Zidisha lenders and to Zidisha as a whole fraternity for their great support for awarding me the first loan of US $47.95. Actually for this first loan I managed to open a cyber café of 3 computers and one printer.
I am 26 years old yet married. I have one baby girl. I come from polygamous family, my biological mother being a second wife. From the stories I have, my father married my mother because his first wife was not bearing children which forced my father to go for the second wife. Later on the first wife started bearing children and my father neglected us.
Coming from the family of five it forced our mother to struggle to venture into business mostly selling shoes and clothes. She managed to educate us up to Form four levels except our sister who dropped in form three because of financial problems. After my form four I joined Gusii institute, because I did not manage to go for my degree course. I managed to accomplish my certificate in Information Technology in the year 2010.
From there I did not get a job so I decide to venture into business of being a technician of programming computers. Being in that time that in Kisii Town Kenya I had many people venturing in cyber cafe business, typesetting and printing, I was so happy that I used to format their computers, installation of internet and also advising them where applicable and I used to get a good token from my customers.
I managed to marry in the year 2012. I raised some capital to start a business with my wife. We started a small shop with about Kshs 25,000 (US $312). I used to go for my daily business in town for self employment for being a level middle technician. I have assisted my wife to add a little capital of about Kshs 1000 ($12) per week. Today our capital can run up to Kshs. 60,000 ($750).
My wife operates in the shop. When I had about Zidisha I informed my wife Divinah and she congratulated me very much about the information and gave me a go ahead to borrow a loan from these lenders at least to enlarge our shop and for me to start a cyber cafe of about 4 computers since we can manage to get location to locate our new business as she will be operating our shop. On May 29, 2014 I received Kshs 3,274 ($47) from Zidisha and immediately we added a stock to our shop and God was on our side and we got many customers which enabled us to repay back the loan. From these daily sales we were able to save kshs.1,000 ($12) daily and we used to save Kshs 200 ($2.50) daily set aside for the weekly repayment to Zidisha. In a month we managed to save Kshs.32,000 ($400). I used the Kshs.32,000 to buy 3 computers and I managed to come up with a cyber café whereby I manage it and my wife manages the shop. We are a beautiful growing family. Thanks.
https://www.zidisha.org/microfinance/loan/DIVICAN4040/8694.html
