Alice Nungari Njau

Alice Nungari Njau is a 45-year-old mother of four children. She is not married and thus is solely responsible for the wellbeing of her family. She resides in a populous slum settlement in the outskirts of Mombasa city. She earns a living operating a food vending business within the town center. The food items she cooks are rice, beans, githeri (a mixture of beans and green maize) and chapatis (made from wheat flour). She has been running this business for eight years and the proceeds have been useful in catering for family needs as well as her children’s educational expenditures. Her customer base comprises of workers in the city center and school children who buy food at her stall, especially during lunchtime.

Currently, Alice is operating from a makeshift structure. She would like to build a small hotel, which would be more hygienic and attract more customers. Alice is therefore requesting a loan of US$700 to assist her in meeting her business expansion plans. The funds will be used to buy more foodstuffs for sale as well as a few utensils. She is a focused woman and capable of repaying the loan.

Disclaimer: Due to recent events in Kenya, the security situation in many communities remains unsettled, affecting many local businesses. Lenders to this entrepreneur should be aware that this loan may represent a higher default risk, and should be willing to accept this additional risk in making their loan.