My name is Bertha Kaliasi and I am 45 years old from Kumbani village. I am divorced and live alone with my four children – three daughters between the ages of 23 and 30, and a son who is 18. My daughters are married but my son is still in school.
Growing up, I was taught how to farm and run a business by my mother. I attended primary school, but then left to help work on the family farm before getting married. On this plot I currently keep seven chickens and plant tomatoes which I sell to friends in the community. Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to harvest any staples, as due to the heavy rains resulting from Cyclone Freddy, my last maize crop was swept away. I have now prepared ridges on the bare land that was exposed, in anticipation of future floods. I was scared when the cyclone hit, as I was uncertain as to whether my house was going to collapse and leave my family homeless. So, another preventative measure I have taken is to get my house floor cemented.
The women in my village were encouraged to join the Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) group. I felt that I wanted to try it and see if it would work for me too. I was excited to be selected to the position of chairperson, as I enjoy leadership roles. As chairperson of the VSLA I am responsible for group coordination and management of conflict when it arises. There are 35 members, and we meet once a week – twice when approaching share out. I am happy with my decision to join.
Everyone in the village now has access to finance and this has improved our living conditions. I manage to save around 2500 Kwacha weekly. Previously, it was impossible to save, as we did not have the appropriate infrastructure. I recently took a loan of 100 000 Kwacha. Part of it was used to buy cement to plaster my house, and some was used to buy farming inputs and food. This is all a part of my recovery plan after the cyclone hit and decimated my maize crop.
Apart from the financial aspect of VSLAs, the other benefit is that we learn how to deal with various kinds of people and are exposed to innovative ideas. We see what our friends are doing and share current trends with each other. We start each meeting by sitting in a circle and praying. After that our secretary calls attendance, and we pay the social fund, buy shares, pay, and give loans. We are excited at the prospect of the digital app being introduced and how this will make our meetings and activities more streamlined.
Currently I have two main income-generating activities: I buy freshly harvested rice, get it milled and then sell it at the trading centre. The loan money I receive from the VSLA group is invested in my rice business. The profits I receive from my doughnut business, however, are minimal and used to satisfy household needs. Both my businesses are doing well – especially since rice is currently scarce on the market. My major challenge is transportation, as I do not own a bicycle anymore. Now I must hire out a motorbike or a bicycle as needed, which reduces my profits.
It is particularly important for women to be mentored and to keep on top of business trends and profitable ventures. We learn business skills from our assigned mentors. Some key skills that I learned from my mentor include how to be a quick thinker and decisive decision-maker. I also learned to analyse the market before launching a business and pivot quickly if my chosen business idea proves to be unprofitable. Another key takeaway is to order in bulk to maximize profits. I see myself as a future mentor. However, as the chairperson of my VSLA group, it might be too much of a responsibility.
I would like my family to live comfortably. I would like women in general to be independent and in a position to provide for their children. We would appreciate it if Opportunity International would continue to provide opportunities to women who are eager to start and run their businesses.
About the project - Strengthening Systems for Financial Inclusion in Rural Malawi
Opportunity International (OI) are currently in the final year of a three-year financial inclusion project supporting 24,000 people, using a market systems development approach to achieve sustainable and scalable socio-economic impact.