The microfinance project was initiated in 2007 for the aim of helping people living positive with HIV/AIDS, who are affected by HIV/AIDS, orphans, widows, guardians and vulnerable women.
The project had expanded from five to thirty five vulnerable people. Majority of people who are given loans are infected with HIV and AIDS. Before giving them loans, we usually conduct one week training course on entrepreneurship skills in order to prepare them for the business which they will initiate after being given loans. The first people were given loans in 2007, the loans ranged from 20,000 tsh (US $ 16) to tsh. 50,000. (US $ 40)
The loans is meant to support vulnerable groups so that they can initiates small businesses, CHAWAKUA believed that if people are given loans, they will be serious in doing business as they know they are suppose to return back the money plus the interest, however being busy with businesses this means they have to be very serious at their buying and selling in order to make sure things don’t fail them, at the same time they tends to forget their problems as their mind are fully concentrating on how can they make profit in their businesses.
The capital used to start giving loans was tsh. 1,250,000 US $ 1,000 offered by our volunteer Judi Mcapline who worked with CHAWAKUA for six months. She observed by herself how vulnerable people were coming to our office and asks for help. She gave us the advice; why don’t we change the way of supporting them, instead of giving them direct support by giving them money or material, hence for those who are still health and strong, we can give them loans, the money which will make them busy and forget about their problems
We started with US $ 1,000 to five people, now we have more that US $ 5,000, the funds which have been contributed by different individuals, volunteers, and also from the Global Funds for Women. The loans given do not exceed Tsh 300,000. This is because CHAWAKUA is a non profit organization, we give loans as an income generating for the organization, at the same time as a support service cause by the end of the day the profit goes to support service to the infected and affected clients when they are real in need of being supported.
We have given loan to 35 women, some of them are infected with HIV/AIDS, affected by HIV/AIDS some are widows and orphans who are above 18 years old;
Below are few among thirty five women given loans.
Renalda Sangawe
She is vulnerable because she got pregnant at the age of 16 when she was forced by her parent to get married. Renalda did not get the opportunity of going to school, her education ended in primary education at class six. After staying in her marriage life for 3 years as a house wife then her husband left her with 2 children without any help. Fortunately during one of CHAWAKUA’s Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Heath (ASRH) training to youth, Relnada was among the invitees, that is where we learnt about her problems. 
From that time we started paying her a visit till the time we decided to initiate a microfinance project and, she became among the first women to be given a loan, in 2007 her first loan was tsh 50,000. (US $ 38) She started a business of selling fried cassava, chips and fish mostly to school children. She is now taking a loan of Tsh 300,000 (US $ 231) and she has increased her business from selling fried cassava, chips and fish to school children now she is selling vegetables to the people surrounding her business.
Renalda now is able to take her two children to school, paying her house rent and cover the costs of her daily needs. In fact, she has a wonderful and happy life with her two children and because of her business she is so famous to school children and they call her a Swahili name “mama mdogoo” (the young mother).
Sinda
She is living positive with HIV; she is a mother of one son who studies in secondary school. Sinda started taking a loan of Tsh 50,000, (US $ 40) her first business was selling beads to tourist and when her capital increase she also start selling second hand cloth.
At the begging Sinda did not want to take the loan because she did not think she could be able to pay back the loan but after realizing she is able to pay back the loan now she took a of tsh 200,000 (US $ 154) and she even complain this money is not enough for her business.
Sinda lives a very happy life and now she is our ambassador to her colleague’s people living with HIV, in convincing to take loan from CHAWAKUA for improving their life instead of waiting for support.
Efrasion
This is one of our clients who received our first loan in 2007. Efrasion
is HIV infected who before meeting with CHAWAKUA she was sharing the house with her husband whereby the husband had another woman. Efrasion was sleeping at the corridor of the house and the husband was sleeping in the room with his beloved woman. This stigmatization affected Efrasion very much, her health was very weak due to stress and she didn’t have any means of income, she depended on support from individuals, organizations and family friends.
When we meet Efrasion, our first help was to find her a place to live and pay a year rent this was to minimize the stress she was facing. Our second support was to give her a loan in order for her to do business which will support her for her daily use. Efrasion started to receive a loan of Tsh. 20,000 (US $ 16) and pay back with the interest of 5%.
Today Efrasion is taking the loan of Tsh 300,000 (US $ 240) she is now selling her tomatoes in whole sales at the market which takes place twice a week. The business has helped her to take her last child to school and she is doing fine. Efrasion have opened another business which she does during the week days when she does not go to the market. Efrasion now is very health and happy.
A wonderful thing which Efrasion did is that she has bought a peace of Land more that half an acre; she said if things go well on her business she will build a house for her children.
