Edith Freeman

Thank you for your loan. It has been disbursed to Edith Freeman by Christian Rural Aid Network in Ghana. We are excited to watch this business grow. Over the next 7 months, Christian Rural Aid Network will be collecting repayments from this entrepreneur and posting progress updates on the Kiva website.

Edith is a married woman of 25 years with one child. She has received a formal education through junior high, and she now works as a trader selling fabric, sewing materials, and shoes in Abura. She carries her goods around from client to client using a basket that she places on her head. With her first loan from CRAN, Edith purchased more shoes, sandals, sewing materials, and fabrics. The loan enabled her to purchase in bulk, but because there had recently been an increase in prices, her cost savings were not as great as she had anticipated. As a result, Edith was not able to purchase as much as she had wanted. Due to further price increases, Edith has found it difficult to maintain her expansion, and her stock has gradually diminished. In the future, however, Edith wants to build a shop so that her customers can come to her.

Since taking out the loan, Edith has increased her susu savings.* Edith saves so the she will be prepared in the case of an emergency. Her profits have also increased since she took out the loan, and she has not had any difficulty repaying the loan.

Edith reports that the loan has had a number of positive effects on her life aside from her business. She says that there has been a slight increase in the quantity of food she buys due to her increase in profits. Additionally, Edith has been able to repair her fridge when it became damaged. Lastly, she has been able to help other family members when they are in need.

*Susu savings is an informal savings plan run by financial NGOs, credit clubs, and self-help groups. The clients pledge to save a set amount per day, and then for a fee equal to a day’s worth of savings, a collections officer visits each client on a regular basis to collect the deposit.