Happy New Year!

Here is an update about Hadijja who was making chips at the side of the road until July when she received a “boost” and opened a small restaurant. The day after paying her December rent, the landlady’s son let her know that the property had been sold and she had 24 hours to move out. The rent money was not recovered.

This is Andrew’s most recent report about Hadijja. She has since payed three months rent from her savings from the restaurant and is opening her bar January 15th.

We are looking for a sponsor for a fridge… Hadijja has worked very hard with every investment we have given her. Please consider donating toward her new business venture. She will need about $400 to purchase a decent fridge.

Hadijja called me this morning explaining her situation to me about her business. Shwe desires to change business into  a bar and restaurant business. Early this month she called me notifying me that the house owner had sold off the property and that they had been requested to move because the new owner wanted the property. I went to visit her and ensured that she transported the item we had bought her this year into a safe place.

She then continued with her chips roadside business in the meantime as she looked for another place as we encouraged her to do, which she has not actually had any success in finding a new house. 

Today we spoke about it and she has already made progress explaining that she has already bought 4 crates of beer (empty) and 4 crates of soda and has stored them for the move. She has also identified the location of where she wants to put it, a place called Kawanda. She says that she has scouted and the houses cost about 150,000 – 200,000/- which she says that she can afford.

The idea she has is that she can have the bar running along side cooking chips so as people are drinking they can buy chips, chicken and cow hooves which is a delicacy for most people here. She is now working until 10th Jan 2019 as her goal is to save as much money as she can to be able to buy the alcohol and soda drinks.

She is convinced that it will work and she is willing to try but she mentioned that her only challenge is getting a freeze or fridge which she will use to chill her drinks, meanwhile the plan is that she can rent one of which she will use until she is able to buy her own. She is also planning on buying speakers for music, so she seems to have a good idea in what she wants to do and seems to have a plan too.

My challenge would have been the ability to change business but the table and chairs are perfect to transition into bar items, so I have no worries only asked her about her being a muslim but if she was okay with it I had no problems as long as she was making money and being able to pay school fees and improve her livelihood.

Report by;

Andrew Echel