Louisa is a mother of four. When her husband fell ill and could no longer work, she realised she needed to find a new way to provide for her family. Joining her local savings group gave her the space to explore business ideas and the support to try something new.
“I had seen that people had to go far to get their bicycles repaired,” Louisa explains. “So I developed this idea to start a small shop, but I didn’t know how to begin. Luckily, my group had some ideas.” With their encouragement, she saved and took out a loan of RWF 30,000 to buy bicycle spare parts to resell. Step by step, she repaid her loan, borrowed again and expanded her business.. Today, she even employs someone part-time to carry out bicycle repairs at her shop.
With her first business thriving, Louisa turned her attention to building additional streams of income. She invested in livestock, purchasing a piglet that she hopes will multiply. “I feel it is important to have a second income,” she explains, “in case something like COVID comes again and I have to close the bicycle business for a while.”
Now, Louisa can provide for her family’s needs with confidence. School fees, clothes, medicine, and food no longer bring worry. “I can provide for my children,” she says with pride. “They never have to worry anymore.”
Be Part of the Change
Louisa’s story shows how savings and small loans unlock the determination and creativity of women entrepreneurs. When you invest in Five Talents, you are walking alongside women like Louisa as they build diverse, sustainable businesses that secure their families’ futures and strengthen whole communities.