“If SEF had not came to my village… my dream of running my own business would not be a reality.”

Martha is a 68 year old lady from the North West region. She joined SEF searching for a way to supplement her husband’s salary, as his income working on a dairy farm was not enough to meet the needs of their seven children. Martha started a business by selling tripe, locally known as “Malamogodu” around her neighbourhood.

Martha’s dream was to own her own store. With each loan increase she bought more stock, using the profit to pay for her children’s college fees, improve her home, and build up a savings account.

Martha is now the sole breadwinner at home, as her husband has retired, and the family is living comfortably with the income they get from the business. When Martha was asked what her secret to success was she answered that, “The key to succeed in business is to be patient with your customers; and the key to achieving good things in life is to save as much as you can.”