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Mathieu

“Turame both gave me access to a loan and helps me run my business,” Mathieu Karenzo says of HOPE’s partner in Burundi. Mathieu cultivates and sells beans, potatoes, cabbage, cassava, and rice from his home and from Gitega’s central market. He has just received his first loan from Turame for $81, but he has high hopes for where he can go. He wants to send two of his sons to vocational training, and he would like to save enough money to buy land and build a home for himself, his wife, and his six children. Only a few months after receiving his first loan, Mathieu says he can already contribute more to his church’s offerings and help those in need at his church.

Adelaide Barutwanayo

Beginning with a loan of just $48, Adelaide Barutwanayo grew her clothing sales business in the markets of Gitega, Burundi, to a point where she could comfortably provide for her two children, ages 6 and 13. “[HOPE’s partner] Turame has helped me feed my family. Now I am sure I can build a house,” Adelaide says of her dreams for the future.

Leonie

Leonie and her husband are able to work together to provide for their three children. He travels to Bujumbura, Burundi, and purchases shoes, which she then sells in the markets of Gitega. Leonie has accessed eight loans from Turame, HOPE’s partner in Burundi. Her most recent loan was for $218. She says that her business has grown and the prayers of her community bank members have also encouraged her. She can now help sick neighbors when they are in need, and she can provide clothing and medicine for her own family. She and her husband were also able to purchase land. She hopes to buy a cow for her family in the future.

Marie-Chantal

Three and a half years ago, Marie-Chantal and her now-husband were living together outside of wedlock. They wanted to be married, but they had not been able to afford a traditional marriage ceremony and celebration. Community members looked down on them for their unofficial union. Then Marie-Chantal accessed a loan from Turame, HOPE’s partner in Burundi. She was able to buy tomatoes from a wholesaler in Gitega and resell them at a private stand in a convenient location for a slightly higher price. Her income increased, and she was able to afford a legal marriage and the ceremony to accompany it. She has also been able to buy a pig and a goat, which now fertilize the crops she has planted.