Linus Kipchumba

Thank you for your loan. It has been disbursed to Linus Kipchumba by Action Now: Kenya in Kenya. We are excited to watch this business grow. Over the next 8 - 15 months, Action Now: Kenya will be collecting repayments from this entrepreneur and posting progress updates on the Kiva website.

Having received a loan of USD 325, Linus Kipchumba managed to purchase one Ramtons chest deep freezer, one Sealing machine and a cooler Box. He is now happily making ice cubes and selling to fish mongers, who use them for the preservation of fish. He now says that for him, business is booming, and he is happy with the support that he got from his lenders. He says that he would not have come this far, without that kind of assistance. He is wishing his lenders well, and is praying for them as well. We at Action Now Kenya, on behalf of Linus Kipchumba say, "Asanteni sana". Thank you very much!

Linus proudly shows off the freezer purchased with his Kiva loan; friendly Linus describes how his loan has improved his business, even enabling him to hire an assistant to keep up with the demand for his ice. He says the loan has been a great help, and is very happy about how it has turned out. With Linus’ various businesses, he brings in about Ksh 17,000 a month (About $260).

However, Linus does face some difficulties with his business, the most serious being the unreliable source of electricity. Electricity in the slums is illegally tapped off of the main grid, by a middleman who then charges the people in the slums for their power, unfortunately every few months, the power company gets fed up and cuts them off, leaving businesses that rely on electricity, in a desperate state. This is especially hard on Linus since he cannot make ice without the freezer!

Linus Kipchumba is still registering a small profit due to the continued interruption of electricity, but since kipchuma has the determination he doesnt lose hope.He is paying his loan on the specified date.Linus sends his regards and x-mas greeting to all his kiva lenders.GODS BLESSING AND PROSPEROUS MEW YEAR 2008.

Linus Kipchumba is still registering a small profit due to the continued interruption of electricity, but since kipchuma has the determination he doesnt lose hope.He is paying his loan on the specified date.Linus sends his regards and x-mas greeting to all his kiva lenders.GODS BLESSING AND PROSPEROUS MEW YEAR 2008.

Linus is safe, although he can't operate his business right now due to the current hostilities in Kibera. Youth are moving to each and every business and warning business owners of the dire consequence if they dare to re-open. He is praying that peace will prevail so that he can continue working. His other worry is his loan repayment, which he regretfully does not know how we will be able to pay this month.

After all the trials faced in our country Linus thought that he was settled and would now concentrate on his business and pay back his loan.But little did he know that there was a tragedy awaiting for him Kipchumba lost his beloved father and had to close down his business to go and attend to the funeral back home.He says that he wont lose hope he will come back to continue operating his business,finish paying his loan and even request for a bigger loan.Good luck to Linus.

Linus came to the office and repayed the remaining balance of the loan he had. We also visited him in mid October and found he had quit selling clean water ice cubes earlier that month. 'the temperatures were low and therefore selling clean water ice cubes was no longer a booming business' he said. Even though, hopes to restart the business in December. He is thankful to the Kiva lenders for giving him an opportunity to expand his business. He says with the profits he received from the business the Kiva lenders helped him in, he was able to start a grocery store which he is concentrating on at the moment.Its the grocery that assisted him complete repaying his loan. He insisted that I thank you so much on his behalf since you have changed his life in every way. He imagines how life will be in December when he wil be having the clean water ice cube business and the grocery running concurently.'It will grow bigger than my initial imagination' he says. We wish him well.

Linus is still going strong and ambitious as ever. He has since opened a barber shop and he also sells water and ice cubes to the local people and is almost through with his loan. He is grateful to Kiva lenders and ANK. He is hopeful that when he completes his payments he will get another loan.

On behalf of ANK staff.

Linus Kipchumba's questionaire(1)when we visited him at his business in Kibera.