Alambi Esther Ngwen

This will be Esther's fifth loan from GHAPE; she has been a member since 2000. She has been quite successful in the past with her business due to her location (right on the main road), the quality of her products, and her reasonable prices. She buys in bulk, which causes the price to be minimal, and her children help her to process the cassava and produce water fufu. She has a strong customer base and is confident that she will be able to increase her sales.

The part of the profits from this loan will be used for the school fees of Esther’s children, and the other part will be used for medication and food for for the family. Esther does not foresee a problem with her loan repayments as they are quite small repayments every month. She intends to start repayment in the fourth month after taking the loan.

The Grounded and Holistic Approach to People's Empowerment (GHAPE) is a non-profit NGO based in Bamenda, Cameroon. GHAPE works towards the empowerment of the poor and poverty alleviation through a highly multi-faceted approach. Every client is trained in business management, basic health, life skills, financial management, profits and losses, and family values. Clients are also required to contribute a small amount into a personal savings account; most clients save much more than the minimum requirement. GHAPE instills a sense of family and community within its clients and staff and has developed a strong bond of trust between the organization and its clients.