There is a Swahili proverb—mtu ni watu—translating to a person is people, or something akin to no man is an island.
This concept is central to our local, women’s microloan program and was reiterated yesterday in nearby Tloma.
After about a month of very hard work on everyone’s parts, our GWOCO leaders were finally able to give out new loans yesterday to 63 women. It was an 11-hour day, and many women waited for long periods of time to fill all their paperwork and receive their money.
But we were able to see the sense of community among them; women passed around babies as their mothers were occupied, and groups were willing to guarantee borrowers, who had been remiss in repayment due to illness or death in the family, and give them a second chance.
The ‘village raising a child’ mentality is very interesting to observe; no one gets offended when other adults offer advice or admonishment to their own parenting skills or children, and in turn kids always have the community at large looking out for them.
The point of the WMI program is a group, not individual, loan, so the women involved not only grow their communities through growing their own businesses and households, but they also use interest to do projects that improve the area. Recently, for example, the organization bought water for its local primary school.
Loan issuance was a tedious process and an intensive crash course for Jess, but it was also a very important learning experience for everyone involved.
As Kim has toiled to fix disorganized books and lead staff development, she has brought leaders Josephine, Levina and Eliminata through many changes that bring them closer to being able to oversee operations independently—an endeavor Jess will continue to pursue.
Through this progression, though, they were finally able to get a hold on how important it is to keep very clear records, insist their women be on time and generally run a tighter ship.
The borrowers, meanwhile, will have more opportunity to discuss their businesses with each other and find a community within the program.
The women responded enthusiastically to their best saver gifts, and our number one saver was a very old woman who has wisely set herself up for retirement. Even more impressive is the fact that this woman is illiterate, which exemplifies the capability of our borrowers to apply training and support skills to running successful businesses.
On the heels of this task will be a scaled-down version with another group in Gongoli, giving Kim an opportunity to reinforce all necessary steps with Jess and our leaders.
Over the weekend, meanwhile, Kim and I had the amazing opportunity to go on safari in the nearby Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater. Riding around with the top of our SUV popped open and wind and dirt blowing onto our smiling faces, we saw many amazing animals, including the big five.
We were fortunate enough to see many lions, elephants, giraffes, hippos, baboons, zebras, leopards and more—as well as a good chunk of wildebeest making their great migration.
It was a thrill to camp in the savannah, hearing hyenas and water buffalo just outside our tents, and beyond beautiful to watch a sunrise on the horizon, lighting acacia trees and the ‘tall grass of the endless plains,’ from which the Serengeti derived its Maa name, Siringit.
The crater was completely different from the Serengeti, and it was lush and rampant with animals of all kinds, mingling and grazing together.
On the sand next to a lake, lions lazed about with flamingoes behind them and gazelle right nearby.
Though sad to be done with our adventure, Kim and I left completely grateful to have had such an amazing experience and see up close such a unique and gorgeous part of the world—especially one that is right in our backyard.
