A Mother & Child Community Development Initiative Chilenje, Zambia

Micro Finance Programme

The micro finance programme is completely financed by the CWCG women themselves, using money they have raised from their income generating skills.

The micro finance system used is an adaptation of the world renowned and successful Grameen Micro Finance model.

Molly Chisenga and Mulenga Nulunge, Directors of the CWCG project, have spent considerable time studying the Grameen Micro Finance model at work in various parts of Zambia.

The CWCG loan system employs strict adherence to the Grameen micro finance policies stated below;

• Access to credit is a human rights issue
• Extending credit to the poorest of the poor demands a code of social responsibility for the institution that makes the loan as well as the borrower
• Keep all loans and interest payments realistically low
• Traditional collateral is not required. The networking system within the group bases collateral on the borrowers themselves
• Loans are offered exclusively to women because this allows money to reach the household level and benefit all within the household

Women who have been with CWCG since 2004 are eligible for micro loans for their specific income generating activities e.g. women may access a loan of $25 in order to rent a space for a stall at their local market to sell the products they have learned to make.

To date March 2009 the repayment of these micro loans has been 100%

CWCG funded through the Hestia Charitable Foundation
UK Registered Charity 1095957

Hestia would like to note with thanks the generous support of the RLPF Foundation, USA