Alidi Nazifa is 32, married with 3 children. Before joining BUWEA, Alidi had no income-generating activities as she was a housewife who depended on her husband who does tailoring work near their home. She was introduced to microfinancing by one of her close friends who had joined the Bukoba Women’s Empowerment Association (BUWEA) in 2014. She saw how her friend progressed in managing to keep her family well, and that inspired her to join in 2017.
When Alidi joined BUWEA she was able to obtain the loan of TZS 100,000 equivalent to $50 USD to open a small restaurant. Villagers rave about how well she cooks! Each day she serves porridge, small doughnuts, and tea. The restaurant is very profitable, allowing for her to pay for her children’s school fees.
Alidi believes that without BUWEA she would have never achieved any of her goals. BUWEA gave her credit, whereas many formal banking institutions would not give loans or even open an account for someone like her who started without traditional security to offer as collateral. As her income increases, Alidi is planning to start selling foods like rice, potatoes, and bananas in the hopes of further improving her family’s living standards.