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Introduction
Small loans are microfinance loans, distributed to members of the community through our partner organisations. The loans are between £20 and £175 and are repaid over six months.
Entrepreneurs use the enhanced income from their businesses to enroll their children in school, as well as to meet the needs of their family. Many also reinvest in their business to make it bigger and better!
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The small loans project is fully sustainable. Loans are returned in full and then re-distributed to other entrepreneurs! Through guidance and mentorship our delivery partners are able to ensure that loans are repaid in full, on time and the funds are ready to support another family.
Why not donate today to help COCO provide even more small loans and create even more brighter futures?
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Fully Sustainable
Empowering Women
Small loans are often distributed to women. This investment empowers women to have financial independence and increases confidence. The loans help women run with their own ideas to create businesses that can provide for their families. This means the basic needs of their children are met but also that the children have fantastic female role models in their community.
Read more about how COCO empowers women with our Sustainable Agriculture Training.
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Margaret lives in Lower Kachola which is located on the hillside overlooking Lake Victoria. She lives with 7 family members and supports two of her grandchildren, one of whom is an orphan studying at Mercy Primary School. Margaret received 20,000KSh from COCO and used the money to establish a water transporting business.
Every morning Margaret goes down to the lake with her donkey to collect water. The donkey then carries the water back up to her home from which she supplies water to locals at a cost. With her 20,000KSh, Margaret purchased two donkeys and some jerry cans used to carry water. She was left with a small amount of money which she kept aside in case her donkeys get sick so she could afford to treat them, and her business would not be at risk.
Before receiving this loan Margaret did not have a business and had no steady source of income. As she had no income she had no way to generate capital to allow her to build a business. The only breadwinner in her family was her husband who died a few years ago. Now she is making money for herself and her family. Margaret feels very happy and proud and no longer has to rely on donations from others. Her new income allows her to pay for her grandchildren’s school fees, pay the loan repayments and she even makes enough to save a small amount each month. Margaret feels her business is a success and it is very important to her as the income it has generated has been hugely beneficial to her whole family.
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