Yehu Microfinance

Dzame Mbega Muweye

DZAME MBEGA MUWEYE was born 30th September 1972 in the village of Dengeni, Kenya. She grew up in the village of Mwanguda and received only a few months of formal education in the village primary school. She grew up a devout Christian, which was unusual in a culture of predominantly Muslim and other native African religions.

At the age of 20, Dzame married a man from her church, Chigumba. He had no land. His father had bought a plot at Mwanguda, but the plot was too small to be shared among all his children. The old man had two wives that bore him seventeen sons and four daughters. Chigumba had some training in electronics, but ran short of funds before he could graduate. His formal education went only to the seventh grade. Chigumba earned his daily bread as a shopkeeper, while Dzame did household chores and tirelessly worked the one acre piece of land they leased for 1500 Kenyan Schillings (Ksh) per year. Her husband soon quit his job to help her cultivate their leased land. They would also work on neighbouring farms to earn enough money to buy clothes and additional food to supplement what could be produced on their own land, for themselves and their two children (one of whom suffers from ringworm which causes hair loss). At times, they could earn 1000 Ksh a month (less than $13 USD), while some months they would go without any money depending on the prevailing conditions of that season.

After one particularly good harvest, they sold their surplus maize and bought five female goats. Within four years, the goats multiplied to fifteen. With the money from the sale of the goats, they were able to buy an eighth acre parcel of land at Mwanguda. There they built their house and began a dry goods kiosk business. The couple bought thatches and obtained poles and rafters from the forest to build their home, which consisted of three rooms and a veranda. One room was used as a shop where she displayed her wares. This room opens onto the veranda where two sewing machines (owned by a neighbour), benches, and three wooden chairs can be found. The veranda opens to another room where a wooden bed can be found. On the bed is an old mat. Next to this room is another bedroom. Dzame’s house, now turned into a shop, is on a flattened anthill on the northern part of Mwanguda market, west of an enormous hill called Dzombo hill, from which the location took its name.

Dzame and her husband started a kiosk business with 8000 Ksh. saved from the sale of their fifteen goats. They sold maize flour, salt, bar soap, but, not having much success, they closed the dry goods business and began selling second-hand clothing instead. Before long, other items were added to their stock, including wrist watches, sheets, and batteries.

Dzame, in her struggle to find a comfortable life for her family, joined CHOICE savings group (later the Yehu Bank) in September 1998 at Mamba. Despite the distances involved between Mamba and Mwanguda and the impassable Chumunyu River when it rained, Dzame committed herself fully to the program activities. She joined the group after hearing from neighbours that the CHOICE deals with ‘maendeleo ya wanawake’, a group she thought was helping to solve the plight of women in the rural areas. In her words she said, "I wanted to get assistance to enable me to break through so many complications that I’m now undergoing". After attending the centre at Mamba for about a year, a new centre was started at Mwanguda, her home village. Saving 20 Kenyan Schillings (about 25 cents) on a weekly basis was not easy since she needed all the money she earned from cultivating other people’s farms, but she was determined to do what was required to remain a member of the bank.

Dzame’s life changed in August 2000. This is when she received her first 5,000 Ksh loan ($65 USD) and was able to expand the business she had started with her husband. The business also received an additional 6,000 Ksh from her husband--extra income he had earned fixing radios. The sales from her kiosk have more than doubled since she expanded. The following table illustrates the increase in income as a result of expansion.

From her expression as she narrates the story of her life, Dzame seems to be extremely happy to be associated with the CHOICE Yehu Bank. To our surprise she said, "If it were not for the Yehu Bank, we would not have made such a great step in improving our income activities. Moreover, it is because of the Yehu Bank that my husband and I have managed to invest the little money we had in a business that we now rely on". She went on to say that since she received her loan, she has not had to work on other people’s farms to earn money. Her income from her current business is sufficient to keep her going. In fact, her business has enabled her to make her savings with ease and pay her loan without difficulty. She plans to take out a larger loan of 10,000 Ksh soon to expand her business once more, thus increasing her income, to enable her to buy a two acre piece of land worth 30,000 Ksh. She says this would enable her to get out from having to lease land from others ever again. That would provide her tremendous peace of mind.