Written by Malin Rosenkvist, Director of Fundraising at MicroLoan Foundation
I have been waiting years for this moment. For the first time since 2018, I reunited with women in our network in Malawi, many of whom greeted me as an old friend.
But I wish I had a more positive story to tell. In fact, I am worried. I saw first-hand the devastating impact of the tropical cyclones of February and March this year. Communities shattered, lives lost, homes destroyed.
Please donate £25 today to help families to rebuild.
The cyclone ripped through this village in Mulanje. Enet paid a high price. Her maize crops were ruined – washed away. Her home is now a pile of rubble.
She and her family sought refuge in the local school during the storm, but her pigs and chickens were crushed in the wreckage. Her belongings from kitchen utensils to household items were unsalvageable.
A few years ago, Enet’s husband passed away. She is a widow with five children, and she runs a grocery store. Before she joined a loan group, she was unable to afford fertiliser and she could not grow enough food to feed her family. When her third born son fell ill, she could not afford the medical fees to get a diagnosis. He is better now, she says, but he missed so much school he’s unable to go back.
Last year, Enet took her first loan and began business training with MicroLoan. She invested in better stock to attract more customers, and her profits have increased substantially. The children no longer miss school, and the family have had a steady income to pay for additional food.
Until now. The cyclone has pushed Enet several steps backwards. She and her children have moved into her brother’s house. It is overcrowded. Her brother sleeps in her shop. She told me she is saving up for bricks, and will, piece by piece, rebuild. She said that MicroLoan’s savings training has helped her to set realistic savings goals for the coming months.
I wish I could say that Enet’s story is a one-off tragedy. The fact of the matter is, her whole community is suffering. Farmland flooded, crops perished, and homes and businesses collapsed. The devastating truth is that, in the months to come, it is likely Enet, her family, and many families nearby, will face a brutal hungry season.
Please donate £50 to provide a woman like Enet with a business loan. With £50, she can build a steady source of income to withstand the difficult months to come.
I am now back in London, but I can’t stop thinking about Enet and her family. Please do all you can to help.
