poverty – Opening Village Doors

New technologies, new opportunities…

March 19, 2017/in Uncategorized/by Opening Village Doors

Every entrepreneur wants to be associated with a successful businesses; Mpesa is just one of them. Since its Launch in 2007 by Safaricom and Vodacom, MPESA has been considered a global success. Researchers show that more than two Thirds of adults in Kenya use MPESA for their transactions, this research further states that MPESA does about 8 million transactions daily. Mpesa can be used for Shopping, Utility bills, Taxi ride, Deposits and many other uses. Currently Mpesa has about 85,000 agents countrywide and Janet Gesare is one of them.

Janet completed her education, where she studied early childhood development. For a few years she followed her career path and was teaching in one of the private primary schools within Ngong where she earned 6000Kshs ($60) monthly. This, she says was never enough to sustain her and the family as the standard of living is very high. Janet bought the MPESA business from her uncle. Though she did not have enough starting capital as her uncle withdrew all his money from that business line. She struggled since she had not enough float ( money required to maintain at hand to pay customers) but had made so many clients.

Early last year, Janet was introduced to Opening Village Doors Foundation by one of our very loyal client, Jacklyn; she then visited our office to find out more about our business model. She applied for a loan of 50,000Kshs in order to boost her business. She also received training on managing her business and successful ways to engage customers. When we visited Janet in February 2017 she could not hide her happiness. She invested the funds in expanding her MPESA business and added drinking water which she sells at 100% profit and being that her shop is centrally located in a petrol station and also near a garage, she sells up to four boxes of water dally.

Currently her MPESA is also doing very well. In fact she wants to clear the loan as soon as possible and apply for more to expand her business even further.

Believing in the vision

December 28, 2012/in Uncategorized/by Opening Village Doors

Opening Village Doors Foundation®’s vision is simple; we envision a time when the villages we touch are prosperous, healthy and self sustaining and suffering has been relieved because of the micro loans, community projects, training, education and technical expertise we have provided. It is my hope you will join us to make this vision a reality to one individual, family and village at a time. How can you help to make it a reality for one person today? Click to donate.

Fear of Failure

November 13, 2011/in Uncategorized/by Opening Village Doors

Today’s bible reading has been in my mind. The reading was Mt 25:14-30, it is about a master who goes for a journey and gives his possession to his servants. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one. When he returned, the servants who were given 5 and 2 talents each had invested them and doubled them, however, the one who was given 1 talent, because of FEAR, hid the talent.

The reason the reading has stayed with me today more than it has other years when I read it is because I can see the families that Opening Village Doors Foundation partners with in Kenya through this reading. On the other hand it reminded me of the first meeting that I had with prospective individuals three years ago, because this was the bible story that I used to drive the point home – they all have potential and they can succeed and get out of poverty!

So today, I have been asking myself, what will make the servant who was given 1 talent fearful and not take a risk and invest it? As I ponder this question, my mind shifts to quotes that I read in Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkerts’ book ‘When Helping Hurts’.

The authors share the following quotes; from Moldova, one person states, “For a poor person, everything is terrible-illness, humiliation, and shame. We are cripples; we are afraid of everything; we depend on everyone. No one needs us. We are like garbage that everyone wants to get rid of?” While from Cameroon, another person states, “[The poor have] a feeling of powerlessness and an inability to make themselves heard” and finally, one person from Uganda states “When one is poor, she has no say in public, she feels inferior. She has no food, so there is famine in her house; no clothing and no progress in her family” It is no wonder the individuals are afraid due to poverty to take risk even when they have great ideas to thrive and grow!

It is very easy then to see the poor and see them as lacking or deficient. We often choose to give them money and other gifts in hope that our gifts will get them out of poverty. Opening Village Doors takes a different approach, and removes the FEAR through training, education and by giving them a small loan to start a small business so that they can support their families, and villages.

Due to the support of our donors and supporter, Opening Village Doors’ message to the individuals and families that we partner with, is “we have confidence in you, you are capable, you are created in God’s image, you have potential. Go and multiply the loan you have been given, we will walk along side you as you seek to gain ground, as you stand on your own and as you walk and eventually run, we will smile and pray and wish you well that you touch others as others have touched you!”

Tag Archive for: poverty