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Today I wanted to share with you the story sent by Emond, the head of the social services at ALIDé in Benin. This illustrates well, how microcredit can help and the need for the 'Kick start' loan products and the positive impact, they can have on the beneficiaries who are amongst the poorest of the poor. Kick start loans vary between 5,000 and 20,000 FCFA (i.e 7.50 euros to 30 euros) for a duration of 6 months at 0% interest rate, 0% processing fees. They allow the beneficiaries to then access higher loans with interest.
Harine Lokpon is a partner from the Sainte Cécile branch of Cotonou. She originates from Ganvié, a village from South Benin. Dame Lokpon Harine has five children aged 11, 7, 5, 2 years and 4 months, all live with her. Her polygamous husband Otcha Samuel is a fisherman and lives with his first wife in Nigeria and the oldest of their children, who helps his dad fishing. He comes rarely to visit his wife and the four children, he left her with. She currently lives with her parents in Sainte Cécile in an island called « Toyoyomè ».People settled here about fifteen years ago and built houses on stilts, they are made of bits of wood and metal and very fragile. The smallest tempest and all of them would be homeless, including Harine’s parents.
This very deprived and unemployed young woman got to hear from ALIDé through her dad, Lokpon David, a leader in the community. Her first loan of 10,000FCFA (15 euros) granted on the 9th Janaury 2008 helped her, like most women on the island sell fresh fish. A month later, her living conditions had already improved. She was not relying on her parents anymore.
She is very proud to tell how thanks to her small trade, she could contribute to the hospital costs, when her fourth child caught malaria and suffered of malnutrition. This event made her think, she decided to change jobs to be able to look after her children better. With a second loan of 20,000FCFA granted in June, she set up a new venture. Now, dame Lokpon Harine sells corn porridge with milk and sugar. She sells it from a little rowing boat out on Lake Nokoué between 7h30 and 12h00 every day (see photo). She even added sweet bread to her selection of goods for sale. Her ambition is to become self-sufficient and be able to provide for her children.
Today I wanted to share with you the story sent by Emond, the head of the social services at ALIDé in Benin. This illustrates well, how microcredit can help and the need for the 'Kick start' loan products and the positive impact, they can have on the beneficiaries who are amongst the poorest of the poor. Kick start loans vary between 5,000 and 20,000 FCFA (i.e 7.50 euros to 30 euros) for a duration of 6 months at 0% interest rate, 0% processing fees. They allow the beneficiaries to then access higher loans with interest.
Harine Lokpon is a partner from the Sainte Cécile branch of Cotonou. She originates from Ganvié, a village from South Benin. Dame Lokpon Harine has five children aged 11, 7, 5, 2 years and 4 months, all live with her. Her polygamous husband Otcha Samuel is a fisherman and lives with his first wife in Nigeria and the oldest of their children, who helps his dad fishing. He comes rarely to visit his wife and the four children, he left her with. She currently lives with her parents in Sainte Cécile in an island called « Toyoyomè ».People settled here about fifteen years ago and built houses on stilts, they are made of bits of wood and metal and very fragile. The smallest tempest and all of them would be homeless, including Harine’s parents.
This very deprived and unemployed young woman got to hear from ALIDé through her dad, Lokpon David, a leader in the community. Her first loan of 10,000FCFA (15 euros) granted on the 9th Janaury 2008 helped her, like most women on the island sell fresh fish. A month later, her living conditions had already improved. She was not relying on her parents anymore.
She is very proud to tell how thanks to her small trade, she could contribute to the hospital costs, when her fourth child caught malaria and suffered of malnutrition. This event made her think, she decided to change jobs to be able to look after her children better. With a second loan of 20,000FCFA granted in June, she set up a new venture. Now, dame Lokpon Harine sells corn porridge with milk and sugar. She sells it from a little rowing boat out on Lake Nokoué between 7h30 and 12h00 every day (see photo). She even added sweet bread to her selection of goods for sale. Her ambition is to become self-sufficient and be able to provide for her children.
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