By Betsy Ramser Jaime
Ireen Chilembo is a determined and hardworking woman. She is the second born in her family and works diligently to help provide for her family. For Irene, it’s important to always be growing and bettering herself.
In her business, she says, ‘I sell a lot of dried foods such as kapenta, dried fish and dried vegetables but also I always try to do any business that brings me money, therefore, I order anything that is profitable for me to make money.’
Since joining Zidisha, Irene is committed to improving her business and always re-paying her loans on time. She knows that over time, her persistence and work ethic will pay off!
Sharing more details about her decision-making process, she says, ‘for me, I critically analyze my situation before I choose the period of payment because the most important thing in acquiring a loan I need to be realistic so that I don’t default or fail and after that, I need to plan ahead for every loan that I get. This makes it easier to pay no matter the situation.’
So far, Ireen has been able to raise 7 Zidisha funded loans starting in March 2021. Starting out, her first loan was for $19 and most recently in June, she was able to raise $245.
In April, Ireen applied for a loan of $50 and shared, ‘I am a very hard working woman who wants to better her life and that of her family and community. I don’t believe in failing and so I will use this money to buy dried foods that I sell and resell. I really want to grow my business and I am glad to be given this platform.’
Would you like to make a difference in the life of a Zidisha entrepreneur like Ireen? Make sure to head on over to our Browse Projects page to see what other members of the Zidisha community are doing with their businesses.
Betsy is a Writer and Editor living in Florida with her husband. She has been writing with Zidisha for 5 years and loves sharing the inspiring stories of Zidisha entrepreneurs. You can connect with her on her personal website.
