Lokumu Group

When the landlord decided to sell the place where Jeanine used to rent, she had to move her business somewhere else, but the business did not make enough profit as it did at the previous location. In 2007, with $600 as working capital, Jeanine decided to change the business. She started selling bananas. She liked that business because it was making $110 of profit per week. She opened a banana store, buying them in Lower Congo province and selling them in Kinshasa. Although the business was profitable, Jeanine’s health was deteriorating due to painful and hard work which caused her to fall sick often. She began suffering from backache and other medical problems. As she had already acquired solid experience in her general boutique, she and her family decided to change the business by re-launching it in January 2008, in a different business area. In September 2008, Jeanine joined one of Hope’s groups called “Lokumu”. With the loan she received from Hope, she bought packaging materials that are needed in the area. Her business makes $210 of profit per month. Currently, her working capital is $1100.





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