A day at Ilambilole

This morning we took off north of Iringa.  We are going to visit Isimani and Ilambilole.  Ilambilole is the first stop we come to so we start our day there.  Ilambilole is an hour’s drive along the “new” Dodoma road.  I say the “new” road because it was scheduled to be finished two years ago and is still being built.  What is finished is a very good road – but the rest is not.  We are told that it will “definitely be done” next year.

Turning off the main road we travel another half hour or so down a muddy dirt road.  It rained here last night so the puddles are full and the mud is deep.  Still it is not bad going and we make good time.

Arriving at our meeting place we are greeted by the chairman of the SACCOS and the treasurer.  They tell us that the members are not here since there was a death yesterday and they have all gone to the funeral!  (This happens often here since funerals tend to held within a day or so and everyone goes)  We visit a preschool class and then have chia – we will have to wait awhile.

Finally the main committee members of the SACCOS return from the funeral.  They have come right from the service so that they could meet with us.  Ilambilole is one of the newly registered SACCOS.  They got their registration last year and joined Iringa Hope.  They currently have 10,000,000 TZS ($6,400) in capital.  In addition we were able to arrange a loan from the Iringa Hope general fund for 10,000,000 TZS.  They currently have 57 members.  Last year they gave 50 loans averaging 400,000 TZS ($260).  Among these loans there were 10 which they had to reschedule since there were very poor crops here last year.  Still, they are convinced that when the year is over they will have collected on 100% of their loans.

We talk awhile about what is happening in their SACCOS and then decide to take a “survey” of how many jobs their members are creating.  It turns out that among the 10 members present they have created 11 full time jobs and many part time “day jobs.”  These jobs are mixed between agriculture and retail.  We estimate that they are paying $450+ per year to their employees.  This compares very favorably to the $300/year our members were making before they got a loan! 

As we continue to talk they tell us that they are worried about this coming year.  Will Iringa Hope be able to lend them 10,000,000 TZS again?  (We don’t know)  Will their partner help them raise capital (they have sent a letter asking)?

After awhile we got around to talking about some of their member’s stories.  We interviewed Tumaini Chaula.  Tumaini is 38, married, and has 3 young children.  She was a member of the loan group that started in 2008.  This is the group that eventually formed this SACCOS.  Tumaini's last loan was for $250 to raise corn on her 3 acres.  She expects to earn at least $500-600 from this.  If her crop turns out she will use here money to send her children to school (total cost is $140) and buy a cow.  She plans on fattening the cow from scraps she collects and then sell it for meat.  If this works as she expects she will be able to earn another $300 or so – making her income for this year about $900.

We then talk with Adam Mandele.  Adam is 43 years old and has 6 children.  He has been a member of the SACCOS for 4 years now.  He has borrowed $270 for farming.  He plans on planting tomatoes on one on his acres (he has 4).  He expects to earn enough to send one of his children to secondary school and 3 of them to primary school. 

We have a cup of chai and then we are off to Isimani.

On the road to Ilambilole. 

We stop in at a Pres school the church is running.

The children sing a song for us.

Finally the committee members return from the funeral to meet with us. These ten members created 11 jobs from their loans.

Tumaini is 38, married, and has 3 young children.  She was a member of the loan group that started in 2008. 

Adam is 43 years old and has 6 children.  He has been a member of the SACCOS for 4 years now.