Neba Comfort Sirri

This is Comfort’s second loan from GHAPE since she became a beneficiary in 2007. She has been successful at selling her cocoyams because of her approach to attracting customers and her friendly demeanor. She also notes that keeping her stall clean, as well as providing quality cocoyams keeps her business running.

At age 25, Comfort has already experienced the loss of her father and has had to drop out of school and take care of her younger siblings and her children. She plans to use the profits of this loan to improve her standard of living, pay for her children’s school fees and help take care of her younger siblings. Comfort takes out GHAPE loans because the conditions of the loan work well for her and her business.

The Grounded and Holistic Approach to People's Empowerment (GHAPE) is a non-profit NGO based in Bamenda, Cameroon. GHAPE works towards the empowerment of the poor and poverty alleviation through a highly multi-faceted approach. Every client is trained in business management, basic health, life skills, financial management, profits and losses, and family values. Clients are also required to contribute a small amount into a personal savings account; most clients save much more than the minimum requirement. GHAPE instills a sense of family and community within its clients and staff and has developed a strong bond of trust between the organization and its clients.