MBK VENTURA CLIENT SUCCESS STORIES

Soimi

MBK Ventura Client Since: 2003
Age: 47, Married
Children: Two sons and four daughters
Hometown: Tegalangus Village, Indonesia
Loan History: 1st loan, $55, 2nd loan, $110; 3rd loan, $167; 4th loan, $220; and 5th loan, $245
Business: Sewing, raising ducks and chickens, and hardboiled salted duck eggs

Soimi was the oldest child in her family. After just one year of elementary school, she had to leave school in order to sell food around the village to supplement her family’s income. When Soimi married at age 16, her husband’s employment was only part-time. Soimi used her skills as a seamstress to take on sewing jobs at home while also using her meager savings to purchase some ducks and chickens.

Since joining MBK in 2003, her businesses have rapidly grown and in turn the quality of life for her family has dramatically improved. She has been able to purchase additional sewing machines, invest further in her duck eggs business, and is now conducting sewing classes for young girls in her home. Her duck egg business now makes more than $5 each week in profits and Soimi is able to charge her sewing students $22 per month. This has significantly increased her family’s income and Soimi is excited about her ability to expand her businesses while continuing to fulfill her daily family responsibilities.

Soimi makes a point of saving at least 11 cents everyday at home and deposits it in a voluntary savings program operated by MBK. These savings contribute to her children’s schooling and transportation costs which are around $33 per month.

Of Soimi’s six children, all completed more school than their mother. Her oldest son (Ihwan, 30) now teaches at a private school, her oldest daughter (Fadlah, 26) is a mother herself, and her daughter Helmi (21) works for her mother-in-law. The other four children (ages eight to 15) are continuing through primary and junior high school and doing well.
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Halimah

MBK Ventura Client Since: 2003
Age: 30, Married
Children: Two sons and a daughter
Hometown: Babakan Asem Village, Indonesia
Loan History: 1st loan, $55, 2nd loan, $110; 3rd loan, $167; 4th loan, $222
Business: Raising chickens and ducks and selling kerosene cooking fuel

After Halimah completed her primary education, she left school to help her mother at home until she was married. Her husband sold kerosene in Jakarta but was only able to work half a month at a time because he had to share his time with other vendors. Money was scarce and life was difficult.

Halimah joined MBK in 2003, and began to raise chickens and ducks to increase their family income. She picked this business because it allowed her to work from home and take care of her children. Her first loans allowed her to expand her poultry business with new cages and feed. She used her next loans to help her husband purchase kerosene to sell in their village.

Halimah and her husband now make enough money to save more than $56 per month. Even though they still can only afford beef once a year during the festival season, this is enough money to feed their family with nutritious food such as eggs and fish every day. When their children are sick, Halimah is now able to take her children to the doctor or midwife closeby because she can afford the $3 fee. With the family’s savings, Halimah plans to rent or buy a piece of land for growing rice and vegetables to raise money for her children’s education.

“I am now able to send my eldest son (Samsudin, 16) to senior high school, and my daughter (Damayanti, 14) to junior high school, which both cost significant amounts of money. I could never do this if my businesses did not have working capital from MBK”.

Halimah is not interested in borrowing from other sources, even though she has been offered larger loan amounts by them. She has become closely attached to her MBK center which she feels has become a second family.

Mulafiyah

MBK Ventura Client Since: 2003
Age: 30, Married
Children: Three daughters ages 4, 11, and 16 years old
Hometown: Babakan Asem Village, Indonesia
Loan History: 1st loan, $55; 2nd loan, $110; 3rd loan, $167; and 4th loan, $178
Business: Kiosk selling vegetables and gasoline with a motorcycle air pump service

When Mulafiyah’s parents could no longer afford her school tuition after grade six, she was forced to drop out. She worked in a small factory for several years until marrying at a young age. Her husband was earning an irregular income performing odd jobs around the village when Mulafiyah decided to start her own business selling vegetables on a table in front of her home.

In 2003, she took out her first loan with MBK to purchase a new kiosk. Her subsequent three loans allowed her to expand her vegetable selection, sell gas and fuel, and provide a motorcycle air pump service.

Mulafiyah begins her day early in the morning to travel to a wholesale vegetable market 20km away by an open truck, which she rents with several of her friends. She sells these vegetables in her village by bicycle while her husband and eldest daughter attend the kiosk.

Thanks to MBK Ventura, her profits continue to rise and she is saving $22 every week for her family. In addition, Mulafiyah is now able to send her girls to school with the necessary books and uniforms, take them to the doctor if they are sick, and feed them nutritious meals including a protein-rich diet of fish, chicken, and vegetables.

“My life has changed dramatically since I joined MBK. I still work hard, waking up at 2:30am in the morning, when everybody is still asleep, to go to the vegetable market, and then hawking vegetables around the village in the morning and afternoon. But with working capital from MBK, my husband and I can now run four businesses: selling vegetables by bicycle, owning a well-stocked kiosk, selling fuel, and having a motorcycle air pump service. With larger loans from MBK I can further expand my businesses in the future.” Mulafiyah hopes one day to save enough to afford a trip for herself and her husband to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.