Testimonials

SAMF3, A Program That’s Working

Beulah’s Hair Salon: This is a very viable service that is offered in Kenya, as women get their hair braided at least every 6 weeks. Since the loan Beulah was able to increase her income by 600% and employ several other people.

Elsie, an orphan, applied for a loan to start a business of bringing “kitenge” (African print) fabrics from Uganda and Tanzania to sell in Nairobi. This gave her a part-time job, income, and provided funds for her to attend college to study pharmacy. Elsie is greatly encouraged and feels that there is now hope for her future.

Susan applied for a loan and started a pig-farming project. She bought four piglets and a sow and even had enough from the loan to buy feed and take care of the pigs until they matured. The piglets grew large and were sold at a favorable profit. She finds it very fulfilling to have the opportunity to be involved in her own profitable business.

Beatrice is a self-employed housewife with three children. Her husband had been unemployed for several years. Because she had experience and training in the field of hair-dressing, she desired to open her own salon parlor. Beatrice used the loan to buy the equipment she needed to set up her own business. She now operates a thriving salon in a busy city market, and has several employees working for her!

A widow from one of the businesses started in 2004 states, “I had almost given up putting food on the table for my grandchildren but now from my small canteen, we eat.”

A man who runs a video rental library can now pay half his fare to church on Sunday, take care of his daughter (who was previously being taken care of by maternal grandparents) and also feed the family!

Roseline was employed before giving birth to her second baby, but desired to be a stay-home mom. Roseline applied for a loan to start a business of selling rice. She buys rice from Eastern Kenya and sells it in Nairobi. She is pleased with the business and can stay with her children while greatly increasing her income.

Rose used the loan funds to buy food so that the school she and her husband opened in 2002 could offer a feeding program for the children who attend. This made her school very attractive, thus enrollment has grown to nearly 400 children!  Over 50 of these children are AIDS orphans. As the school continues to grow, Rose has applied for increasingly larger loans to provide for expansion and building projects. All have been successfully paid back, fulfilling the vision of Samf3 to serve as a revolving fund from which many can benefit.