Born in Bukoba, Tanzania and having returned to teach at a girls’ secondary school before getting married, Regina Majaliwa was forced to retire due to an onset of blindness. Her story of hope has inspired her community and created a big change.
Despite her increasing health issues, Regina was desperate to earn some income and began selling eggs. She then began raising cows, selling the milk and calves as they came along. As Regina managed her small income projects, she encountered other women doing the same. Regina joined a women’s group which met every Saturday for support.
From this support group, the women, with Regina in the lead, created BUWEA, the Bukoba Women’s Empowerment Association. BUWEA provides small loans so that other women can experience the life-changing power of microfinance.
Women who join BUWEA have access to workshops and education. At the forefront of this group is Regina, who leads the way for women to lift themselves out of poverty. Regina’s leadership and vision have brought BUWEA to successfully embark on group income projects which benefit the entire BUWEA group of women: processing soy products in a soy factory they built themselves, operating a commercial bakery with women member employees, and even running a daycare for the women’s children.
“We started with 8 women, and now we have more than 800 members. These are women who want to make a difference for their families and themselves,” says Regina Majaliwa.