Esther Efianayi

Thank you for your loan. It has been disbursed to Esther Efianayi by Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO) in Nigeria. We are excited to watch this business grow. Over the next 8 - 12 months, Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO) will be collecting repayments from this entrepreneur and posting progress updates on the Kiva website.

Esther Efiananyi has worked in the business of selling dress fabric for 19 years, but has been borrowing from Kiva’s microfinance partner in Benin City, Nigeria—LAPO (Lift Above Poverty Organization)—since 2003. The last four years have brought increased profits and, along with the meager incomes of her husband and brother, a better living standard for her and her four children, giving them more to eat and better health. Her business routine has been perfected over the years: After traveling to Lagos (which she does twice a month) to buy fabrics from distributors, she works Monday—Saturday, 8am—6pm, selling the meticulously organized, beautiful fabric rolls from her well-place location by a busy street in the Uselu market.

With her last Kiva loan of N64,000 ($500), Esther was able to buy more materials than ever before, in bulk, and so shaved costs and increased the array of goods on display. It has made all the difference, but she still wants to grow more. With her next loan she wants to add shoes and bags to her stock, which complement the dress fabrics her female consumers often come to purchase. Such diversification could really be a boon for her simple business, and continue her plight out of poverty. At 53 years old, and with her two youngest children still in school, Esther is very grateful for her Kiva loan, as it has allowed her to break past living hand-to-mouth and enable reinvestment in her small enterprise.

Yet, sadly, Esther has been saddled with a problem out of her control: the Uselu market’s night watch company has had internal disputes over pay and scheduling, leading to a violent standoff between the security guards that prevented Esther and other business owners at the market from operating safely for almost two weeks. This, in addition to the recent government-mandated increase in the price of gasoline, has taken her away from the market and increased her business costs. Still, Esther is all smiles and very thankful, hoping to further her business’s growth and improve her family’s condition.

Justina has expand her business and increase her stocks. She says thanks to all Kiva lenders.