Slmb I Group

These are teachers from the Sierra Leone Muslim Brotherhood (SLMB I) Primary school in Magburaka. It was founded in 1961 and named after its founding mission. The SLMB School is made up of classes one through three. They cater to children between the ages of six and eight. SLMB II caters to children between the ages of nine and twelve (classes four-six). SLMB I has a total of 225 pupils with a staff of fourteen teachers and administrators.

SLMB has never got a loan from SMT before. They heard of SMT from colleagues in other schools who have benefited greatly from SMT’s services. They decided to form a group and send in an application to SMT requesting a loan after hearing these other success stories. With the loan, some of the staff members will start a small business and those who are already run small businesses will invest the loan into their business. Some of the staff members will be using the loan to buy pieces of furniture, others to pay either for their children in their education or pay for themselves to pursue further studies. Others will use their loan in home building projects.

Government salaries are usually quite small for teachers, thus making teaching an unattractive profession for many whose primary motivator is money. Many choose other jobs over teaching because of the small salary, thus starving the field of qualified personnel to teach the children. The few who remain in the classroom have to find other ways of making ends meet. The vast majority of them engage in either business or agriculture or they provide extra tutorial classes for the children (though this is a practice the government is trying to stop). Needless to say, loans from SMT are a great help to the teachers in order to boost their businesses or invest it in something productive. Many want to go to school but could not afford the cost. Some will want to buy pieces of furniture, but their monthly salary is not enough to let them do so. With a loan, they will be able to meet some of these needs. And with their monthly salaries, they can repay easily via a payroll deduction type of system.

Fifty-one year old Brema S. Kamara is the deputy head teacher at SLMB. He was born in Masoko, on the outskirts of Magburaka town. He is married with four children. Two of his children are in primary school and the other two have already finished their schooling. Brema will use his loan in the construction of a home. He plans to buy bundles of corrugated iron zinc for roofing, nails and bricks for a strong foundation. In Magburaka, where he will make these purchases, a bundle of corrugated iron zinc will cost him Le 210,000, a box of nails Le 18,000 and each brick will cost him Le 500.




About Group Loans
In a group loan, each member of the group receives an individual loan but is part of a group of individuals bound by a group guarantee. Under this arrangement, each member of the group supports one another and is responsible for paying back the loans of their fellow group members if someone is delinquent or defaults. Learn more

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