Every mother worries about their children: what they are eating, if they are healthy, where they will go to school, if they are happy and what the future holds.
With seven children and a small income, Yapa Ya had plenty to worry about.
Yapa tells us that her biggest concern was not being able to provide enough meals for her children during the day. “I never felt as though they were eating well,” said Yapa.
Although Yapa had a business producing shea butter, she couldn’t make it work. Her income just wasn’t enough to cover the daily needs of her family. There was never enough money to buy in bulk, she constantly owed money to creditors and consequently her small business never grew.
All that was to change the day she received a loan from Sinapi Aba Trust.
Loans from Sinapi Aba have enabled Yapa to increase the volume of her production, which has led to an increased income. Training has taught her how to manage her cash flow, how to keep costs down and the value of buying in bulk.
Over time, Yapa’s meagre income has increased. She can now provide three nutritious meals a day for her children. Four of her seven children attend school. She now has some money to make improvements to her home. She proudly told us that she now has enough money to change the thatch on her roof each year, which provides her family with good shelter.
She’s become a good saver, putting money away for emergencies and is no longer hounded by exploitative creditors.
Yapa is encouraged by all the support she receives from SAT. When we ask her about AIDS education, she says that she has often heard about HIV/AIDS on the radio and on billboards, however it was SAT that helped her to understand the dangers of AIDS and how to guard against it.
Today when you ask her how she’s going, she’ll give you a big grin and say:
“I am happy, my children are happy and I don’t have to worry anymore.”
DSBN is pleased to be involved with Opportunity International as a donor sponsor. Each month, the $120 DSBN donation supports one new small business impacting up to 15 people each month. An inspirational and worthy cause!
