Tatu
TATU was born in the village of Chigombero. Her dad was a subsistence farmer. The family ate only what they could grow including cassava, citrus, maize and rice. African culture traditionally did not value education for women and as such, Tatu was not sent to school. Only one out of fifty girls were educated at all at that time. Besides, the few in school might not be allowed to finish their primary school education before they were married off.
At home, Tatu would assist her mother in her daily domestic routine. She would also be left at home taking care of her young brother, being the first born in the family. She would also spend time in the field to scare away weaver birds, which would eat the rice crops.
When she was about fourteen years old, she was married off for a dowry. Her husband had a good job with Kenyan Railways and life was comfortable. She bore two children. Unfortunately, she fell out of favor with her husband and he divorced her. She was forced to return home to her parents with two small children. In order to survive, she resorted to subsistence farming to feed the family. Within a year, Tatu remarried a man who already had two wives and four children. He had a decent job at a sugar factory. Tatu enjoyed a happy life, despite being the third of three wives. For five years she was able to avoid the burdensome tasks of cultivation. With the salary earned by the husband, the family enjoyed comfortable life. Tatu bore four more children with her second husband, one every two years. All her children were sent to school. However, life was about to change. In 1986, the sugar factory was closed indefinitely, and her husband lost his employment. Without a job and without land to grow food to eat, the family fell on desperate times. Tatu convinced her husband to move inland and find land to cultivate. This they did and they were able to purchase a small plot land where they planted bixa, cashews, coconuts, rice, cassava and maize. In addition to this, she would weave mats to earn some income. She had to rely on the charity of her neighbors to keep her children in school.
In 1998, when Tatu learned of the existence of the Yehu Microfinance Institution, she jumped at the chance to escape from her hopeless situation. She joined and though it was difficult to find the funds to save 20 shillings each week, she found a way and after two years she received her first loan of 5,000 shillings. Before this time, she had been advised by the bank workers to start a small business which would at least earn her something. She took heed started a fish business. After receiving her loan, Tatu spent 1000 shillings to buy fish for her business and was able to pay school fees to allow her daughter to return to school. From the profits of the business, Tatu was able to cultivate 1 acre of rice for 2000 shillings. Unfortunately, due to unavoidable personal circumstances, her business was forced to close. She was forced to use her working capital to pay school fees, books and other family debts. But she has not given up hope and is determined to find a way to repay the loan she was given. Tatu now works on other people’s farms to get money to pay back the loan. She says that Choice has assisted her out of many problems and she will find a way to continue to be a part of it. She is determined to work hard to repay her loan and remain a part of Yehu. One day, she believes, when her children have finished school, things will be better. She intends to start up her business again to get money to pay up her loan of 3,000 remaining and send back her children to their respective schools. After repaying her loan, she intends to borrow a second loan to expand her business to enable her to educate her children. The education of her children is her main concern despite the fact that she is illiterate herself. Although her husband is not able to help due to his age, she believes that she will meet her goals with the help of Yehu. This is the hope that keeps her going.