By Betsy Ramser Jaime
Even though Ophelia Monyei might be new to entrepreneurship, she knows exactly what she wants. She describes herself as, ‘vivacious in nature, full of life and down to earth.’
On the Zidisha platform, there are entrepreneurs of all ages and levels of experience. For any new entrepreneur, starting a business can be extremely daunting. It can often feel like there are too many tasks for the time available, or often people are just unsure where to start.
For someone just getting started, a community like Zidisha provides more than just a way to raise funds, it’s also a community that shows people what is possible. When Zidisha business owners like Ophelia are able to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs throughout the Zidisha platform, they raise their awareness of the future and start to see a path unfold before them.
Ophelia shares, ‘This platform has really been helpful, I have started buying supplies for my business and soon it will grow. My business is coming up and will need to expand by getting a shop and then with time I can also employ individuals.’
In her business, Ophelia makes and sells wigs, clothing, and beads. She explains, ‘The wigs I make are 360 frontal, frontal, closures, braided to wigs, cornrow braids, twisted braids, ponytails, Bob wigs. Am also into cloth making such as peplum tops, skirts, gowns, bomber jackets, trousers, etc.’
So far in her Zidisha journey, Ophelia has raised 7 Zidisha funded loans, providing the necessary support and funds to get her business up and running. Her loans have ranged from $11 in January 2020 to her most recent of $360 in July 2020. As she started to see order requests rolling in, each additional loan allowed her to buy the necessary supplies to fulfill each of her orders.
However, as the threat of Covid-19 continued to spread, Ophelia made sure that she used her business to be part of the solution, selling face masks, hand sanitizers, hand wash, and food items as she explained, ‘it’s really selling during this crisis and it will help individuals get by and keep safe.’
On Jul 3, 2020, Ophelia went to her discussion page and had an update for her lenders as she wrote, ‘I want to thank all my lenders who have contributed one way or the other to see that my business grows. The business is picking up and will likely expand soon by getting a shop, this way I can also employ individuals and help with employment. Thanks a lot.’
Would you like to make a difference in the life of an entrepreneur like Ophelia? Make sure to head on over to our Browse Projects Page to read about other Zidisha entrepreneurs helping their communities through the pandemic.
