This blog post was written by Megan Henderson, our Senior Communications & Events Officer.
Marcia in front of her new home.
Marcia lives in Morogoro, Tanzania, with her husband and two young sons. For years, Marcia and her husband had difficulty providing enough for their boys, but then Marcia’s mother told her about the Savings Group she was a member of. Her mother explained more about the Group and shared that it was a safe place to save, access loans, and learn new skills. Marcia had dreamed of starting a business, but until then she didn’t know how.
“Being part of a Savings Group gave me hope that I could fulfil my dream.” Marcia says.
Marcia started small. She took a loan from her Group for £13 to buy maize. She sold it during the harvest season a few months later for £23. Marcia continued saving her profits, repaid her loan with interest and continued small-scale trading.
“At first it was difficult to make repayments, but through training and experience I learnt to manage my finances.”
As her savings and business know-how grew, she allowed herself to dream bigger. With a loan of £190 (from her Savings Group) and some of her accumulated savings Marcia decided to start a mobile money business.
“Being in a Savings Group is like taking four to five paces at a time. Your ability is to take one pace at a time, but your Group members support you with the other four paces; hence you reach where you want to go within unexpected time.”
Marcia’s business thrived and her profits grew - but that wasn’t all. As Marcia’s profits grew, so did her savings and her ability to apply for larger loans from her Savings Group. Marcia dared to dream even bigger!
Last year, as well as investing in her business, Marcia was able to buy a plot of land and begin construction of a new family home. Together with her husband and support from her Savings Group, Marcia is better able to provide for her children and is building a stronger, more resilient future for them all - just as she has always dreamed.