'My husband doesn’t stay here, so I’m the only breadwinner at home. I have six children. Five of them are enrolled in school, but I have difficulties to pay for school fees and medical bills and to buy basic needs for my children. Two years ago, I started a small business with only 10.5 kg of groundnut, which is equivalent to 660 SSP (about € 5). I didn’t know how to save the little I had for the business. I did spend all the money I earned and the business was about to collapse.
Earlier this year, the people from the SSJR Project came and said they wanted to assist women who are doing their own business. I then introduced my small business to them. After that, they trained me on how to do small-scale business and how to save money within the same business.'
'After the training, they organized us in groups to save money together. We then formed a group while using the skills and knowledge they trained us on how to do our business. Since we’ve started, we are doing well. Every week I save 1000 SSP (about € 7) for the group and 1000 SSP for my family and my business is expanding. If any person comes to borrow money from me, I’m able to lend him or her money. If they ask for 500 SSP or less, I can even pick it from my pocket and give it. But if they want 1000 SSP or more, I borrow it from our savings group account, which they will refund later. I have even become popular within the saving initiative.
I thank these people for bringing in this project. But we need more training and support because we still have a lot of people here in need of help to save their lives, and especially that of their children. I started saving in May and will continue to save 16,000 SSP (about € 111) for the period of nine months. By the end of nine months, I will receive about 150,000 SSP (about € 1038) from my savings. I will use the money to continue paying my children’s tuition fees and to open a new shop.
I am confident about the saving business and will continue to save and mobilize other small scale business owners to join the initiative.'
*SSP= South Sudanese Pounds