TUWICHE

Appendix 1.1 Baseline Tracking Data

The Group.

Group profile

Tuwiche (meaning we have arrived) PTB is based in a location called Area 25; this is one of the high density and poorest location in Lilongwe.

The proverb which ‘birds of the same feathers flock together’ has proven to be true with Tuwiche PTB as they decided to form a group due to their common problems of lack of enough capital, similar trade par ten and that it is their wish that they would help each other in growing their businesses by sharing ideas during group meetings as they hold their weekly meetings at their leaders house Laisa Joseph.

Tuwiche PTB is composed of 3 women and 5 males who have different businesses such as poultry, groceries, selling of farm produce and shoe repairing. 

Tuwiche PTB was formed to increase business capital of everyone in the group through access of loans from Opportunity Bank, so as to improve their standard of living.

Business Activities 

The members of Tuwiche are not selling enough to increase their capital base as they only manage to have an average profit of   K250.00 ($1.30) on a daily basis hence their desire to borrow business loans from Opportunity bank.

Education. 

Most of the members are primary school dropouts and share similar circumstances that led to their failure in pursuing education.  Most were born to parents who could not afford to pay school fees due to poverty.

Most children of the members are quite young and still in primary schools. Despite that the parents didn’t go further with their education; their vision is that their children should attain higher education as far as the University.

Area 25 has many private schools with average school fees of USD$100.00 per pupil per year.  To most parents (members of Tuwiche) it’s a mere dream to think of sending their children to such schools due to their income levels  which are too  low to send their children to these schools.

As most members of Tuwiche cannot afford to send their children to any private school, their children attend public primary schools within the area which are free of charge, however public schools in Malawi are highly populated where the teacher to child ratio is sometimes at 1 teacher to 200+ pupils, which makes it hard for the teachers to effectively teach the children. 

Living Standards

Most of the members have lived in this community since birth. The houses they live in are constructed from burnt bricks and others from unburnt bricks though poorly ventilated. Water is accessed from bole holes and from communal Kiosks at a fee. This is a place heavily polluted with factory dust due to industry work which is done close by and the dusty road network which makes the populace prone to chest infections. Water is accessed from communal kiosks at a fee as most people cannot afford to have in house water system.

Health

Area 25 is highly populated and is one of most highly populated areas in Lilongwe.  The place has only one Government Health facility and medical supplies cannot easily be accessed as the health clinic mostly run out of drugs and Medical staff at the Health Centre is overburdened with the large numbers of patients.

Other Transformation Indicators

All the members of Tuwiche PTB are Christians and participate in their different church activities.

The group has many plans in expanding their businesses through borrowing of loans and saving with Opportunity Bank. The group would like to encourage one another to save some profits from their businesses as they would take a loan which would improve their capital hence the profit as well.

They would like to build good houses and send their children to good private schools.

“with opportunity everything is possible” Said one of the members with hope.

Tuwiche group members at one of their meetings

Laisa Joseph arranging fish on her bench

The Client

Laisa is one of the members of Tuwiche PTB and is married with five chidren namely Beston 13, Streper 10, Chikondi 8, Triza 6 and Joshua who is four? Laisa decided to join Tuwiche PTB in order to access loans from Opportunity Bank because she could not adequately provide for her household.

Business Activities

Laisa sells dry fish in area 25 c market. She learnt the trade from her friend who was selling fish in Area 25 B. Her trade requires her travel to a main market in town where she buys her fish from wholesalers of dry fish.

Unfortunately due to climate change and seasonal weather changes it is at times difficult to buy fish. On average Laisa makes a profit of USD$1.7 on a daily basis which is a supplement to her husband’s income.

Education. 

Laisa is a standard primary school dropout. She only went as far as standard five but hopes to educate her children up to University level.

What level of education does the client expect her children to complete?

Living Standards. 

Laisa has lived in area 25 for eight years after migrating from her village in Ntcheu. The family lives in a three roomed house built from burnt bricks and roofed with iron sheets. The house has neither electricity nor running water.  Water is accessed from a borehole and if she is to use tap water she buys at USD.04 dollars per twenty litre bucket.

Health. 

Area 25 being one of the most highly populated areas; its hospitals are no spared from congestion.  The place has only one Government Health facility and medical supplies cannot easily be accessed. Medical staff at the Health Centre is overburdened with the large numbers of patients.

Other Transformation Indicators. 

Laisa is a committed Christian and her Church has entrusted her with its women’s ministry as a Chairperson.  She is a champion in fundraising for the Women’s Ministry at her Church.

Laisa desires to buy a plot and build their own house.  She would like to seriously save in order to realise this dream within one year especially this time that she would have a chance to get a loan from Opportunity Bank.

Rich Matinga at his house – his business premises

The Client

Rich Matinga is twenty seven years old, married with one child named faith. Micheal has had hard times financially that he decided to leave his family (wife) in Blantyre in search of green pastures in Lilongwe. He decided to join Tuwiche in order to have a chance to borrow from Opportunity bank and learn how to run a business.

Business Activities

At first, Rich thought by coming to Lilongwe was an immediate answer to his financial problems only to discover that being in a new place life was even tougher than he had expected. He had to learn how to survive as the place was new to him.  It was during those hard times that he learnt how to repair shoes. He repairs shoes from the veranda of his house. He makes a profit of $1.10 on a daily basis.

Education

Rich finished his Junior Secondary School (form 2) but unfortunately did not make it for a certificate. He however desires to go back to school in addition to educating his children as far as University.

Living Standards.

Rich lives in a dilapidated rented one room; around the compound is a communal latrine.  Water is accessed at a fee from a water kiosk and from bore holes. The house is built from burnt bricks and roofed with old iron sheets. He has failed to get his family (wife) from the wife’s parents because his income is low. Now that he is an Opportunity bank loan client he hopes that soon he be able to pick his family once his profits improves.

Health

Area 25 being one of the most highly populated areas; its public hospital is not spared from congestion.  The place has only one Government Health facility and medical supplies cannot easily be accessed as it is mostly run out of grugs. Medical staff members at the Health Centre are overburdened with the large numbers of patients.

Other Transformation Indicators.

Rich is a committed Christian and very committed at his church.  His pastor has encouraged him to work hard and get his family from Blantyre.  He hoped to work hard, now that he will get a loan from Opportunity bank and in three months time he would like to get his family.