Before Ntumba Marie received her first HOPE loan, she did not have a reliable income. Her husband processed and sold cornmeal at market, but his mill consistently broke down. Lacking the savings to repair it, their income was often halted, and Ntumba and her husband were unable to afford their diabetes medication. With her first loan, Ntumba Marie began selling fruit at the marketplace, making enough money to repair the mill. As her business grew with subsequent loans, she was able to buy diabetes medication and more nutritious food for their small family. They began paying for their grandson’s education and have even been able to expand their home. Their physical health has improved, and so have their diets; Ntumba says she now eats her favorite food, chicken, on a regular basis.
![Before Eveness Mulungu joined the Walusungu (“mercy”) savings group through our church partner in Malawi, she faced days where she and her family ate animal feed because they couldn’t afford human food. But that changed when she joined the savings group. Eveness used her first group loan of about $1.70 (U.S.) to start a business selling doughnuts and beans.
“By the end of my first cycle I made $140 (U.S.),” Eveness shared. “My life is no longer the same now; [I] was regarded as no one in the community. ... This was the first time in my life that I ever touched and owned big money like this!”
Pictured: Eveness, with her husband in front of their piggery—a third successful business that she operates.](https://blog.hopeinternational.org/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)