By Betsy Ramser Jaime
‘My name is Chiluwa a mother of two. My firstborn is a lawyer and my last is a student at Zcas. I am the 4th born in our family.’
While Chiluwa still has her children, she has sadly lost both of her parents as well as her husband, all within a 12 year period.
Even amidst her hardships, Chiluwa has shown resilience and perseverance.
During the day, she works as an Assistant Accountant at a law firm in Ndola and has multiple entrepreneurial projects on the side.
Her first side business is supplying vitamins and her second is owning rental properties. She also buys cashew nuts from Mongu which she then sends to the UK for her brother to sell.
In her time with Zidisha, Chiluwa has raised 8 Zidisha funded loans, since joining in late 2020.
With her first few loans of $11, $18, and $28, Chiluwa was able to purchase new stock and venture into buying soaps to re-sell as she shares, ‘Will buy products from Longrich in which I am a member. The demand for the products is on the high side. I will get soaps which have proved to be popular with ladies who have skin problems. I estimate to make about 20%.’
Throughout the first half of 2021, Chiluwa continued to raise Zidisha funded loans for $46, $71, $98, and $152, helping her to boost her inventory stock. This also has helped her to diversify her products and offer a wider variety of products for her customers.
On May 4, 2021, Chiluwa took to her Zidisha discussion page and shared, ‘The loan has helped me supplement my capital for my business venture. It’s a lot easier to have a loan with Zidisha without using collateral.’
Most recently, in August 2021, Chiluwa successfully raised $167, her largest loan yet, to purchase rice to re-sell as foodstuffs are currently in high demand.
Upon receiving the loan, she was pleased to share with her Zidisha lenders that, ‘The money loaned to me was very helpful in that I was able to buy the products I needed for resale. It made a huge difference in that I was able to get financing which is hard to find.’
Would you like to make a difference in the life of an entrepreneur like Chiluwa? Make sure to head on over to our Browse Projects page to read about other Zidisha business owners around the world.
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.
