Kopeme Microcredit Faces and stories behind the numbers (1)

1. Kopeme Microcredit Faces and stories behind the numbers (1) 2007 this woman got her first credit of 15 Euro. This woman lived at that time in a rosty metal hut and went all day long with a dish of sugar-can on the head through the city of Lomé and tried to nourish with the miserable income herself, her own children and the children of her deceased sister. On many days the children ate only in the school cantine of the NGO PROMO.ORGA.H. This woman showed already 2007 entrepreneural spirit and had business ideas what she would do if she would get credit. After she had received credit all her plans were realized. She now lives in a stone house and operates a business. She plans already, what she will make if she achieves the next higher credit stage. Each morning when she wakes up. She is pleased that we had confidence into her and that she has a credit and can realize her creativity. She says: „If I can not attend the weekly meeting of my group because I am ill, then I sit at home and cry. The group is the most important for me. “

2. This family lived in an extremely strained situation, because the father, a teacher, when he went blind, could teach no more. He completely lost his income and the family fell into extreme poverty. With the micro credit the woman developed a clientel of charcoal subscribers and buys for these en gros charcoal on the market; she divides them into small portions and distributes them to her customers. Most humans cook with charcoal, so that this business is a recurring. The children can attend school on a regular basis, the man has a blind stick and the family has renovated the house; the roof raised and better ventilation was provided. The whole family can laugh and is happy again. Kopeme Microcredit Faces and stories behind the numbers (2)

3. The woman on the left of reported in the weekly meeting that she, before she had received a micro credit was forced to buy for her kitchen her vegetables and oil on credit-base. Each day she had to pay at least 800 francs as interest (1.20 Euro) plus 200 francs (0.30 Cent) for the oil for the ingredients she needed for her kitchen. What she had to pay as interest daily at interest she pays back now for her credit once a week; she has now 9 Euros more per week and must only pay back 1.60 Euro back to Kopeme. She said: „In the past I worked all day long - and in the evening nothing left and look at me now: I am well fed and I can sleep well.“ The woman on the right side said: „With the micro credit my life changed totally. My children attend school, I can meet my expenses and always it remains some money for me.” Kopeme Microcredit Faces and stories behind the numbers (2)

4. This woman is a midwife in a village in close proximity to Togoville. She has her own small health center - in October 2009 she had the possibility to get a microcredit. Thus she was able to fill up her meagre supply of medicines and infusions. In addition she became member of the caravan of health. Kopeme Microcredit Faces and stories behind the numbers (4)

5. This woman has a sewing school and a cutter workshop in a small village. She did not have materials and no yarn. Each time a customer came, she had to ask him for a pre-payment to be able to go for some patterns or she had to ask someone who sells sewing-materials and to acquire these on credit basis, sew for her customer, got the money from him and go and pay back the credit. This was always charged with unnecessary and high interests. With the microcredit she could furnish a small depot and saves the way to the material dealer and the interest for the credit. She has more customer, because she offers more varieties and because she can sew immediately. Kopeme Microcredit Faces and stories behind the numbers (5)

6. Kopeme Microcredit Numbers of borrowers Development of Kopeme Microcredit January 2009 (212 borrowers) until January 2010 (8.500 borrowers)