Nairobi, Kenya 2009

Did you know $100 can lift a woman from poverty in the slums of Kenya?

Miracle with Microloans delivers small loans to the women in Kuwinda so they can start a small business and lift themselves from poverty.

Here is a look into the life of Jedidah before our program:

Two years ago Jedidah Wakahu, a teenage girl living in the Kuwinda slum of Kenya, conceived a child after being raped by her neighbor,  Jedidah tried to go back to school but had a hard time concentrating.  “I felt dirty and violated,” she said.  Unable to bear the psychological and emotional pain she dropped out of school and now raises her two-year-old child on her own.

Like many people in her community she cannot find work.  Under these conditions Jedidah is forced to use her body to feed herself and her baby.  “I detest having sex for money, but I have no other form of income” she cries.  Like many other slum girls, Jedidah only wants a chance for a better life for herself and her child.  “I am good in knitting.  Given a chance I would use my skills and sell my products.  This way I will be able to feed my baby.”

* Photo donated by Massimo De Nino

Jedidah is one of many young girls struggling to survive in the Kuwinda slum, known as an area consumed by sexual abuse and sexually transmitted diseases. Miracles with Microloans© is designed to facilitate the empowerment of underserved women like Jedidah in the Kuwinda slum, using micro financing as a vehicle to develop sustainable community enterprises.  This microfinance program offers small loans to impoverished women so they can start small businesses and lift their families out of poverty.

How the program works:

To Date:

• We have hired Karen Sugar as a consultant who runs the Women’s Global Empowerment Fund www.wgefund.org
• Set up a partner NGO (Non Governmental Organization) in Kenya called PACHO (meaning “home” in Swahili)
• Designed the program with Karen Sugar
• Raised almost $15,000USD
• Trained almost 100 women on the Credit Plus microloan program
• Delivered more then 30 loans.

We are aiming to finish up the pilot program by the end of the 2011, make needed adjustments and move forward helping deliver loans to the remaining 58 women who attended our training.