Josephine: From Depression to Life (Part II)

This is Part II of “Josephine: From Depression to Life”

Josephine started selling other people’s goods and would earn a commission when she sold them well. She ran that kind of business for two years until she couldn’t get people to give her what to sell. Then, Josephine decided that she was going to start with the little she had earned and sell her personal goods. “I started with 5000frw (approximately USD $9). I bought clothes for children and sold them on retail. It did not make a large profit, but I could get what to buy food and soap for me and my two daughters,” said Josephine.

She went on with the cloth selling business until she was able to cater for all family basic needs. Josephine said that she started interacting with other business people to know which strategies they used to make their businesses boom. That’s when she heard of loans. “They told me that they get loans from banks, but with a guarantee such as house, plot of land or car so that it can be sold off in case they fail to pay. I thought that was not my place because I did not have any of those assets,” disclosed Josephine.

“Later, I heard a friend talk about World Vision’s Microfinance Institution and she said it was not as demanding as these other banks. She said that we needed to get together in a group and then present what we want to do,” revealed Josephine. “It sounded a deal to me and I knew God was yet to answer my prayers,” she added.

Josephine and her colleagues went to a widow’s association and presented their case. The association agreed to stand for them at Vision Finance (World Vision’s Microfinance Institution in Rwanda) so that they could receive loans. Vision Finance explained to them how it works, how they recover money, how much they loan, and also helped them understand how they can use the loans effectively.  “They gave us 60,000frw (approx $110) each, I borrowed another 60,000frw from my brother then went to Uganda to buy clothes on wholesale,” explained Josephine. I made 200,000frw (approx $350) as profit from the first round of loan,” affirmed Josephine.

She said that she went back for another round of loan, and they gave it to her because she repaid her loan on time. Josephine said that she used some of her profits to buy windows and door frames for a house which she later bought. “My business kept growing that I was able to raise money to buy this very house from the proprietor,” said Josephine. I actually shifted from group loans to individual loans; they gave me a loan of 1.5million frw ($2000). I really wanted to enter new heights in business, and I surely did,” smilingly, she affirmed.

Josephine said that she gives credit to Vision Finance who apart from giving loans, also taught her how to save and to be faithful. She said that because she had saved a lot of money she now had enough capital to move to another business of her dream. She started supplying food to higher institutions of learning. Josephine is the biggest supplier of food to the National University of Rwanda (NUR), Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), and Kigali Health Institute (KHI). She also supplies to other public institutions on order.

When we visited her business site at KIST, we found her off-loading a truck of bananas for the school. She said that she had a day before taken food to the National University of Rwanda.

How do you feel at this level? “I never imagined I would be here, I am so thankful to God and to Vision Finance. I am so excited,” Josephine responded. She said that she now earns 1.5million frw as profit a month.

“My life has not only changed in terms of being able to take care of physical needs, but I am also a happy woman, satisfied, and spreading the good news that Vision Finance can be a long lasting solution to poverty alleviation. I now pay school fees for my eldest daughter at University. My youngest is in high school on my sponsorship too. I have other orphans in my house that I take care of too. I have renovated this house; see how it is all shinning.”

Josephine added that she has helped many women who were depressed by explaining to them that a small loan from Vision Finance plus believing in God can totally transform someone’s life.  Households in her neighborhood are proud of her efforts. We found one of her neighbors at a small juncture as we were going back and I asked if she could tell us about Josephine in three phrases. “Josephine’s story is a challenge to all of us in this community. She has a compassionate heart for fellow women who are still poor. She a hard working mother,” affirmed Rose, a mother of 4 children in Josephine’s community.

During our phone interview with Josephine’s eldest daughter, Judith, she confirmed that she was proud of her mother. “We certainly have gone through a lot with our mother, but I have never seen a resilient woman like her. She is such a strong and focused mother.  Without her, we wouldn’t be in school,” said Judith who was at school during our visit.

Josephine says she gives all credit to Vision Finance. “Many microfinance institutions give loans, but there is something unique about Vision Finance; they give you money, they teach how to effectively use it, and they pray for your work. It is such a wonderful blessing,” disclosed Josephine. Among the women she helped is her neighbor who has managed to build her own house too.

Josephine says that her desire is to see all poor Rwandans get out of poverty and live a happy life. She says that she still wants to go higher in business. “I now want to go further to bigger markets in some of those western countries and China. I also want to buy my own vehicles to help my business affairs,” stated Josephine.