Nasr El Dine

Thank you for your loan. It has been disbursed to Nasr El Dine Chaar by Al Majmoua- Lebanese Association for Dev in Lebanon. We are excited to watch this business grow. Over the next 9 months, Al Majmoua- Lebanese Association for Dev will be collecting repayments from this entrepreneur and posting progress updates on the Kiva website.

It would be quite easy to get lost down one of the narrow cobblestone alleyways on the way to Nasr el Dine's grocery. His shop is tucked neatly into the centuries old facade of what was once and still today remains a grand labyrinth of spice, sweets, and gifts markets in the oldest part of Saida. The vaulted archways and elderly observers quietly sipping tea, however, carefully point the way to Nasr el Dine's store, where his loyal customers can find anything from nuts and tea to perfume and lightbulbs.

Arriving at Nasr el Dine Chaar's mini market at 11am, we found the store still boarded up from the night before. Although it did not seem like a good omen at first, it became clear that it was not sloth nor absentmindedness that kept Nasr el Dine home and his shop closed until near mid-day on Thursday, but rather the long hours necessitated by late-night Ramadan shopping the previous evening. As Nasr el Dine explained, during the Muslim holy month in the southern Lebanese town of Saida, he must stay open often well past 2am to accommodate the needs of his clients who fill the rambling ancient streets of the “old city” looking for good deals and kitchen necessities until the wee hours of the morning.

His last loan from Al Majmoua of $1,000, which was raised with your assistance, was vital to the maintenance of Nasr el Dine's shop and his home. With the funding, he was able to purchase a pay telephone for his shop which neighborhood clients now come to use daily, and he was able to purchase a refrigerator and washing machine for his home. Without this loan, Nasr el Dine does not think he could have been able to finance the household appliances he desperately needed, nor could he have added a now important source of income for his business.

Today, Nasr el Dine's shop is divided into two sections-- one for selling household products and food items, and one for baking sweets which he sells from his small storefront. According to Nasr el Dine, the bakery makes up as much as 80% of his monthly profits, but the strenuous labor and long hours involved in this business make its upkeep difficult. In order to continue providing for his wife and five children, he plans to use a new loan from Al Majmoua to renovate his shop and install several Internet-connected computers for a small web-access cafe. With the help of Kiva funders, the shrewd businessman has wisely exploited his opportunities in the past, and is intent on doing so well into the future.

To see more entrepreneurs working with Al Majmoua who are currently funding on Kiva, please visit the following link:

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&partner_id=77&status=All&sortBy=New+to+Old