Location: Ute Oheze Village, Edo State,
Nigeria
Age: 42
Business: Petty trade such as selling
crayfish
Name of Business: Petty trade
Date Received Loan: 23 March 2009
Loan Amount: 25,000 Naira ($163 USD)
Date repayment of the Loan: 13 October 2009
Personal and Family Information: A widow with six
children. They live off a small farm close to their home.
Emela is a poor woman who struggles to take care of her family due
to the hardships they have faced both economically and physically.
She has three children who have bad cases of congenital cataracts.
This is a condition where the natural lens of the eyes is clouded
instead of being clear. It is generally associated with aging but
there are cases of infants being born with it.
Two years ago, the children had operations to remove the
cataracts and then received eyeglass for correction.
As a result, Emela needs the loan to be able to provide her
children with medical check-ups and treatment so they may continue
to retain their vision. She plans to use the loan to create a new
petty trade business selling fish and other items. She of course
hopes to achieve success as soon as possible in keeping with the
previously agreed time frame for the loan.
**Update as of June 7, 2011:
In March 2009, Emela borrowed N 20,000 (130 USD) to start a petty
trade business in her village in Nigeria. She used the loan to buy
dry fish, crayfish, dry meat and palm oil from a big market in the
city and resell them to consumers in the village and community
market. In October 2009, a little over six months from the date she
borrowed the loan, Emela was able to repay the full amount. “I am
grateful to St. John’s Global Micro Loan Program,” says Emela,
“they have helped me and other widows in finding a means of
livelihood”
Emela’s comments:
With the help of this loan I was able to accomplish the
following:
1. Taking full responsibility for the well being
of the family. For example, by providing the basic needs- food,
clothes etc of the family.
2. Become more productive to the society, by
being able to assist people in my neighborhood who are
poorer.
3. It has improved the standard of living of my
family e.g. I can pay for my children’s school fees, and provide
the school needs e.g. books, uniforms, etc.
How has this loan positively impacted your life and that of
your family? Your community?
1. The loan has empowered me and has restored my
dignity and self esteem.
2. It has enabled me purchase text books and
payment of school fees for my children.
3. It has helped me to take care of the family
basic needs.
4. It has also helped me to have a means of
livelihood.
Please include any opportunities you had to collaborate
with other people, organizations or government.
The Daughters of Charity have been of great help to my family.
Three of my children are visually impaired and they are being
supported in providing medical and educational assistant through
the help of other NGOs.