Remmy, an entrepreneur and mother of three, lives in the densely- populated Huruma slums on the outskirts of Nairobi.
Several years ago, she joined a Savings For Life (SFL) group with only 14 members. Now there are 22 and call themselves, “Tunaweza A,” meaning “We can” in Swahili.
With the support of her group and a loan from her husband’s work, Remmy bought a posho (corn meal) mill in 2016 for 99,000 KES (Kenyan Shillings), amounting to around 983 USD (US Dollars).
Now she sells maize and provides grinding services for the neighboring communities. In a day, Remmy is able to earn about 800 KES, a little less than 8 USD.
“The Savings For Life group has been very helpful,” she said. “…without SFL I could have not this business.”
What Remmy loves most about SFL is that she can save more than ever and if she ever has an emergency, she knows she can go to the group to get a short-term loan. She has also felt a strong sense of community. When one of the group members is in need, such as losing a family member or having a new baby, they share those experiences with the entire group whether they are grieving or celebrating.
“[If] any of my family members is in financial need, I am now in a position to help,” Remmy said.
She even persuaded her husband to join because he saw the impact it had on her life. Whether she didn’t have money to pay rent or something broke down in her mill, she was able to get support from her SFL group.
“Savings brings us together, we end up helping each other as a family,” she said. “I am grateful for SFL because it has really changed my life.”
