Busisiwe Gertrude Methule lives in the village of Lekazi where she has used the support from the Phakamani Foundation to grow her food shop. She has borrowed and repaid six loans. Each of these loans allowed her to expand her business so that she now not only supports her family of three, but the food shop also employs two additional people. The impact of her hard work is spreading beyond her family!
In addition to the access to finance, the training and support from Phakamani has also been invaluable. Busisiwe has developed the skills she needs to run a business and has learned to make smart business decisions like which stock to carry. Her biggest challenge on a regular basis continues to be transportation and access to the products she needs – something many small business men and women can relate to around the world.
With the improved and reliable income her family earns from the shop she has been able to purchase a washing machine and a microwave in addition to other household items so many of us take granted. The business has been able to pay off the loan on the shop’s refrigerator and she is now planning on buying a grill machine.
Stories like Busisiwe encourage us to keep working to empower women throughout South Africa.
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