Claire

Claire was a stockbroker in the City and gave up her job to travel by motorbike across Motorbike repairAfrica. Most Loan Officers use motorbikes to travel around the villages visiting clients at their businesses, disbursing loans, collecting repayments and savings, and giving training and mentoring. Claire visited the MicroLoan Foundation’s work in Malawi and volunteered by providing motorbike maintenance support for the loan officers; invaluable when the motorbikes play such a crucial role in delivering financial services to remote areas.

More Stories of Entrepreneurs and Volunteers

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  • Post-conflict microfinance

    • I had an interesting chat last week with a lady from Uganda who is trying to expand her microfinance programme into northern Uganda. It's an area devastated by 20 years of civil war. Most of the population suffered terrible trauma - children abducted to become child soldiers and forced to commit atrocities against their own villages, women and girls raped, people losing their homes, land and loved ones. Can microfinance work here? Full Story...

  • the long road to providing financial services in remote villages
  • Village Savings Groups – how to nurture financial services in the remotest corners

    • I recently visited the village of Nangarua in Beringo District, Kenya. The journey from Nakuru town to Nangarua took 4 hours, of which 2 hours was on tarmac roads and 2 hours very definitely wasn't. We were visiting with Anthony Mambo, recently appointed Microfinance Officer in Nakuru. His challenge is that he is one man with one old car and a district over 300 miles from side to side. Full Story...

  • Catherine MLF
  • Catherine

    • Ten years ago, Catherine was making a small living buying fish from local fishermen and selling them at a nearby market. Today she has saved enough money to build her own house, housing 18 members of her family. She pays for her grandchildren to go to school, and financially supports various other extended family members. Full Story...

  • Lenie
  • Lenie

    • Lenie has started a bicycle and fritter business thanks to her small loan Full Story...