Monica Musosi

Thank you for your loan. It has been disbursed to Monica Musosi by Action Now: Kenya in Kenya. We are excited to watch this business grow. Over the next 12 - 18 months, Action Now: Kenya will be collecting repayments from this entrepreneur and posting progress updates on the Kiva website.

Monica Musosi is extremely happy with the support that was granted to her. She says that from the support she got, her students have seen a big difference. The students say that they are really happy because now they no longer have to sit on wooden stools that they used to share, therefore they are very comfortable with the seats that they got. They also say that they have gotten more experience from working with the training dummies that were purchased, hence, they now feel confident even when attending to customers.

Monica says that the school is continuing to expand, and now she is even ready to add another class, in addition to the two classes that she has so far. She now hopes to continue to make her loan repayments till she is through, because she hopes that in future, she will manage to get additonal seats and other teaching materials for her school, to enable her students to get more experience. She wishes to inform her lenders that her students will be graduating soon, after which she will take in more students.

She prays for her lenders, and says that may God continue to touch teir hearts, to support the less fortunate in the expansion of their businesses.

Pictured here with some of her happy students, Monica Musosi has been running her beauty school for the last two years, and has seen her business expand twofold since she received her Kiva loan. Previously Monica was only able to accommodate about 15 students, who often had to share a stool. Now she has been increase the number of students to 30, all with comfortable seats, and now with more equipment to practice and learn with. The students have a few dummies to practice hairdressing with, instead of using each other as models all the time! This Kiva loan has clearly had a trickle down affect into the local community, by educating more girls who will then be able to have their own income.

Monica’s loan has been very successful, but she still faces challenges with her business. Sometimes work is very slow, and Monica is barely able to pay her bills; for example her rent is Ksh3,500 a month (About $56), but her services, such as a wash and blow-dry, only cost Ksh50 (About 80 cents). Therefore, her profit margin is quite slim. Yet she remains positive. Easy-going and bubbly Monica wishes to thank all of her Kiva lenders, and has made me promise to return to sample some of her ugali!

Monica Musosis business is doing fine and she is repaying her loan on time

Monica Musosis business is doing fine and she is repaying her loan on time

Monica's business has been operational during the current onset of political instability, but she has not been recording high returns due to a lack of customers during these difficult times. She is waiting and hoping for things to return to normal.

We’re happy to report that Monica Musosi’s salon is now doing well in the wake of the difficult times and political unrest earlier this year. Her business is well-equipped and full of young people studying hairdressing and preparing for their professional exams. In fact, these students are doing so well that they have given Monica the time to share her knowledge and experiences with current and potential Action Now: Kenya clients and women’s groups. Monica plays an active leadership role in the formation and counseling of women’s merry-go-round savings and lending groups, who may one day end up receiving a Kiva loan!

--posted on July 14, 2008 by Triin Vallaste and Jeffers Engelhardt

Monica Musosi received a loan of Ksh. 43,000 and has successfully repaid it. She is very grateful to the KIVA lenders for giving her the chance to change her life and that of her family.

Monica has a hair salon and school where she teaches and trains students on beauty and hairdressing. Before receiving the loan, Monica had 5 students and 2 seats. She would be forced to borrow three other seats from neighbors so as to have the entire class seated for the lecture. Action Now Kenya and the KIVA lenders loaned her money that she used to buy blow driers, hair driers, a radio, seats and dummies for her students to practice on. She also hired a trained hair dressing teacher and moved to bigger premises and although the rent is more (Ksh. 4,000 a month) she can take in more students, pay the rent and expenses and also make some profit. She also bought a hair drier from the profit she accumulated after receiving the loan.

Everything however has not been well for Monica this year. She was unable to pay the yearly license for her business that costs Ksh. 10,200. She is hopeful though that she will renew it in January 2009.

She has applied for a second loan of Ksh.50, 000. If she is granted this loan, she plans to use it to renovate the premises by adding more mirrors, putting up shelves and more washing sinks. She hopes that with these changes, she will attract more students who are her main target because they pay Ksh. 2,000 per person per month. She currently makes an average of Ksh. 3,000 a week but is convinced that this will change if the school is renovated. At the moment, she is expecting a group of students from a local organization.

Monica has a hair salon and school where she teaches and trains students on beauty and hairdressing. Before receiving the loan, Monica had 5 students and 2 stools she would be forced to borrow three other seats from neighbors so as to have the entire class seated for the lecture. Action Now Kenya and the KIVA lenders loaned her money that she used to buy seats, blow driers, hair driers, a radio, and dummies for her students to practice on. She also hired a trained hair dressing teacher and moved to bigger premises and although the rent is more (Ksh. 4,000 a month) she can take in more students, pay the rent and expenses and also make some profit. She also bought an additional a hair drier from the profit she accumulated. Post elections violence didn't affect her directly but she experienced low turn out of clients. Looking back, Monica has all praises for ANK and KIVA lenders for turning her life around and that of her family

Monica plays an active leadership role in the formation and counseling of women’s merry-go-round savings and lending groups, she also works as one of the ANK field Community worker.

Monica's questionaire (1) when visited at her salon by ANK staff in Kayole