Give a Jumpstart | Projects

Put a woman in business and she will put her children in school.

Jumpstart gives seed money to women, enabling them to start a business of their own design. These women are then able to better support their families.

Women form into groups of five or more to draft a business plan and apply for a grant or loan. There is generally one member who lives in a concrete house with a tin roof and locking door. This is essential if there are materials that must be kept safe. The majority of the women we work with live in mud huts with thatched roofs and a shared pit toilet. Water is carried from a community well by the women and girls.

Jumpstart requires grant recipients to open a savings account. This not only safeguards the money against theft, but also encourages responsible fiscal management.

Of the women we have polled, most are raising orphans as well as their own children. Many are single mothers with no other economic options. Many of the fathers have died of AIDS or moved to the cities in search of work.

Amano Buchingo B

(Translation: Knowledge is a protector).
Group B was formed with a loan from Group A. They are harvesting Ground Nuts, Maize and Soy Beans. Our car could not take us to see their land: there is only a path, no road. They advised us that there would not be enough time in our schedule for us to visit their village on foot. Maybe this time?

Bumi Bwesu Women's Group B

(Translation: It's our lives).
The women are knitting baby outfits to sell during the winter. All women are HIV+, and are part of a support group hosted by BBYC. Five women have 16 children. They are also raising 8 orphans.

Chiwame Women's Group

(Translation: Let it be good).

God Gives Women's Group

They are selling dried fish. 5 women have 17 children. All are married, and there are no orphans being raised by their group. The group looks very young, but it does include Byness' wife, who is more senior. Only two members can write, none of them speak English.

I
fimoneka Eficitika Kawama

(Translation: Visualize what you want to happen).

Kaabukwa Riverside – Kawama

Making charcoal, selling chisense. they have been in business for a while, used the grant from Jumpstart to expand operations. Doing well.

Katweshe Women Empowerment – Kawama

(Translation: Let's try).
Farming Maize and groundnuts. The harvest was weak because of the drought. The women made Munkoyo out of their small harvest of maize. They will buy bread to resell when they collect money from Munkoyo (fermented corn beverage).

Kuchuchutika Women's Group – Kawama

(Translation: It is because of our struggles that we strive to work hard).
Cassava Farming. These women are very desperate: they tried to contribute even $1 each to start a group, and couldn't even find that much. They used the grant from Jumpstart to purchase harvest rights to a larger plot of cassava.

Mukamfwilwa Women's Group

(Translation: The widow).
Buying and selling groundnuts. All are widows. 5 women had 23 children. 17 have died. The women are raising 32 orphans: all grandchildren, I think.

Mulumba Women's Group I

Farming

Mulumba Women's Group III

Gardening

Mulumba Women's Group IV

Buying and selling dry maize. 5 women had 31 children. 2 have died. They are also raising 10 orphans. They submitted a proposal for poultry farming, but we could not afford to fund the project. This is their "plan B".

Mumpa Chilongo Women

Began by selling fish, then moved into farming. 5 women have 20 children, plus they are raising 15 orphans. The women have moved into making clothing. They buy large dresses second-hand, then cut them apart and make new dresses for children and smaller women. This industry would not be affected so much by the weather. They seem like they are doing great.

Mwala Wamoneka Women's Cooperative

They are stocking up on Maize right now, waiting for the prices to rise. The women want to start sewing. One member is in the hospital with malaria right now. An older group. 5 women had 24 children, but 9 have died. They are raising 17 orphans.

Pibe Ilibe Women's Group

(Translation: There's no sweet without sweat).
Making door mats. (We bought some) They take an old rice sack as the base. The women buy scraps of fabric from the tailor, cut it into small pieces, then loop them through the sack to make a rug. 5 women had 37 children. 7 have died. They are raising 9 orphans. Two of the women are widows.

Sansamukeni Women Club Kawama

(Translation: Be happy).

Shansha Women's Club

(Translation: Even when things are hard, you will get there). Raising goats to sell the meat. One member could not be there to meet with us: she is suffering from swelling from the waist down. It's unclear what kind of doctor she consulted, but they don't know cause.

Shikapambwe Women's Cooperative

A new farming group. They need to find a fifth member: one just died of AIDS. 4 women had 16 children, 2 have died, and they are raising 11 orphans.

Shimuchita Panono Club A – Kawama

(Translation: Working slowly, but sure that one day we will get there).
Goat rearing and selling. Only 2 arrived to meet: The rest are far out in the bush tending to the goats and private farming.

Tukafikawu Women - Kawama

(Translation: We will get there) They are rearing pigs. One member is in the hospital. The one widow is raising 11 orphans and 4 of her children have died. Maybe the one in the hospital knows how to write? None of the others can. They signed their contract with an X. They harvested 2 lima of beans last season, which was a very low turn-out. With their profits they will buy one large pig to slaughter and then sell the meat. They will also buy one younger, cheaper pig to raise and then slaughter.

Twafweni Women's Group

(Translation: Help each other).
Cassava Farming. A very desperate group

Amano Buchingo A

Amano Buchingo began a sewing project in 2008. In 2009, they expanded to farming. They are also still sewing. They are supporting many orphans, but the newest is 2 months old. Both parents have died, the child is being reared by his elderly grandmother and a very young aunt. The grandmother arrived at our meeting with nothing for the baby. We sent Jimmy to buy a bottle and milk for the baby. Before he returned, grandmother was giving baby water to keep it from crying. Baby WIlson was barely 5 lb. at two months old. We decided to give Ememeldah money to provide milk for the baby until he is six months. They wanted to give him porridge now, but Nurse Luisa told us of the baby who had aspirated on porridge when it was given to him at too young an age.

The group is thriving. They have expanded to farming, and this year they loaned money to women to form a new group. The group fed us a meal of sweet corn. They have won awards for their jams, which really were tasty. We have advised this group that they are now ready to apply for loans instead of another grant.

Bumi Bwesu Support Group A

Were given K1,000,000 to sell food stuffs. They divided the money amongst themselves, and have been very profitable. They meet weekly at Bumi Bwesu to discuss issues around living with AIDS, and solutions. Transport fees have been their biggest challenge.

Buyantashi Women's Club ONE

Began by processing cassava, switched to potatoes. They loaned one member K300,000 for school fees, which she payed back in full in three months. They divided the money amongst themselves, did not work cooperatively.

Chilala Balunda Cooperative

(Translation: Caretaker of the poor).
Broom Sales and Farming: One woman took all of the brooms to Kitwe (far away). The others stayed home and continued farming. Drought brought a bad harvest for those farming. Broom Sales: She says all of the brooms were stolen, and her bags were taken at the depot. I think they are left with nothing, and they did not re-apply for a new project.

Kashikishi HBC

Sewing Women started in November making uniforms for a school. It took months for them to be paid by the school. They were delayed in beginning their projects while they waited for tables to be made.

Kosa Women's Club

(Translation: Be Strong).

Light of Hope

Sewing and Knitting. Several members were dealing with serious illnesses during the rainy season. Others were spending time far away in the bush, it was not possible for Lubuto to meet with them or to contact them. One member moved away to Kasama for good, and has taken K300,000 with her.

Lyapuma Ladies Group

(Translation: It's now or never).

Mioma Women Beekeeping Enterprise

We travelled many kilometers into the bush to see where they keep the hives. Mioma is a large group, very industrious. Honey was good business for them, as they are not affected by the drought as everyone else is. Honey sells out very easily. It is harvested once per year, in November (we didn't get any this time.)

The members of Mioma are very interested in creating a business training program for teen-aged orphan girls. They want to teach them to sew, knit, cook, etc. As these girls do not learn the skills without a mother at home. We have asked them to submit a proposal. They also asked for a bicycle because the distances to walk are so great.

Mubumba Women's Club

Tubombeshe Women's Club

(Translation: Work hard).
This group of women began brewing Munkoyo in 2009. Munkoyo is a beer-like beverage brewed from corn. Sales were slow during the fish ban (no one had money for beer), and they usually give the beer on credit, which means collecting can take longer. They do have a small profit, and have used the money for daily living expenses for the orphans (food).

Tubombeko Women's Club

The women are selling Maize. They go into the bush to buy or collect it as needed. They make trips approximately once a month during the growing season. It's hard to purchase maize during rainy season, so they are considering using their profits to buy timber (making charcoal) for sale during the rains. When we met with the women in November 2008, we were happy to hear that they were opening bank account, and taking the BBYC entrepreneurship class.

Tutemwane Community Group

(Translation: Love one another).
Rice Sales. One member was supposed to take K350,000 to the bank, and it appears that she has misused the funds. The women used the money to feed their families before actually making a profit. The late rainy season left many people hungry this past winter.

Twala Women's Club

Twikatane Pamo Women's Club

(Translation: Let's live in harmony).
Women were given K1,400,000 for selling rice. Women switched from rice to farming. They were unable to meet in January because they were all in the bush. One member was home with a sick child. They also have 3 lima of Maize planted. In March the group was falling apart, not working well together. By July, all was well.

Women of Hope

Chicken rearing. One woman took the chickens to her established farm far away in Kawambwa. They are difficult to find, do not show up for meetings. We decided that projects must stay in the district. It's too hard for monitors and follow-up when grantees go too far.

Bwafwano (Ray of Joy Spouses)

The women are buying and selling beans and groundnuts. The group took a break in December because of the rains. They began selling rice in January. Four women are raising 21 children, 6 of which are orphans. We recommended that they take the BBYC entrepreneurship class, and they said they would open a bank account.

Hope of Faith Women's Club

This group has always wanted to go into chicken rearing, but say they need K5million to do the project properly. In 2008, we gave them a loan of K1.310million. Without follow-up of any kind, they repaid the loan one year later. We gave them another loan from which they could continue the work. They told us they would start chicken rearing with that money, but again it did not work. The women have been baking fritters and selling them at the school or in the marketplace. They are a well-off group.

Kosapo Women's Group

(Translation: Be eager).
Sold fish for a while, very good profit. Will sell again after fish ban (April). Making more clothes right now. Some have gone to buy ground nuts (it takes one week, they pick their own). Growing vegetables and selling. From profit, bought fabric for clothes for orphans. Made 10, 4 left over for sale. A very entrepreneurial group, also very destitute. Discussed using more profit to feed families.

Mano Mambula Women's Group

Knitting and Gardening

Mubamba Women's Group

Women take bus to Manza (3hr) to sell chisense fish they have bought locally and dried themselves. They want to move into larger fish (better profit). During fish ban, are preparing field for maize, selling rice. Bought a goat with profits, will sell kids.

They took BBYC Entrepreneurship class. 6 Women raising 32 kids, 10 are orphans. Also paid for schooling & uniforms for their orphans.

Natwesheko Women's Group

Mumpa Women's Group

Have been selling fish. Planting Maize for rainy season.

St. Paul's Catholic Church Women's Group

Selling Casava and Maize

Mano Mabulwa Women's group

Twikatane Pamo Women's Club

(Translation: Let's live in harmony).
Knitting and Gardening

Natasha Female Group (Nchelenge Basic)

Right now, the group is comprised of eight women raising 25 children, 13 of which are orphans. This was too big a group for the amount of the grant. The women are breaking into two groups. One of the groups wants to buy a bread machine, and are writing proposal to present in June 2009.

Ray of Joy Community Groups

St. Paul's Choir Women's Group

Original idea was for selling chisense, switched to Beans, Rice, Millet for rainy season.

Tubombeko Women's Club

Twesheko (Kambwali Group)

Rice Sales are very difficult. They are switching to Charcoal for the rainy season. Transport costs rising drastically. Everyone uses charcoal for cooking due to power outages.

United (Twikatane) Women's Group

Founded in June 2008 with a grant of K1,000,000. By November 2008, they have K200,000 in the bank, will use K300,000 to start a baking project, and used their profits for orphan schooling. The womn are selling Chisense (small dried fish). During the rainy season, when it impossible to dry fish in the sun, the group will bake scones. The fish are more profitable, so they will switch back in April. The Twikatane Women's group would like to submit a Loan Proposal for raising chickens in 06/09. They want to support more family members. They are a group of five women raising 22 children, 10 of which are orphans.

Young Women Against Poverty

A great idea: put K200,000 in bank for safety, give 5 women K200,000 each. Each woman repays loan in 6 months w/10% interest. They keep all profits, after 6 mo., train 5 more women to use loans. Wives of BBYC Guys, plus Matildah (counselor for BBYC). Opening bank account, taking BBYC Class, want more training in Human Capacities to train other women in Bemba. It was an unfortunate year for all of the women: difficult pregnancies, lost babies, and families needing to move away from the district.

Ladies' Kashikishi Churros Association

This is the first example of a small business women's cooperative and demonstrates the glory of enterprise. One year ago they were granted $144 to buy material to start a school lunch fritter business, which turned a good profit. We were elated; a group of women had organized themselves into a successful business AND kids got an affordable lunch! Two birds with one stone. Soon however, they were forced to close down due to a cholera epidemic, so they switched to selling coal. As the margin of profit was too meagre they turned to buying and selling fish, which has proven to be very successful. Unfortunately this does not solve the school lunch problem. But our women have been put in business and shown remarkable enterprising skills.

St. Peter's Sewing Cooperative

The cooperative meets weekly to sew and to support each other, and they will continue to do so. They are making a profit, which is used for the benefit of the community's orphans. In May, 2008 St. Peter's cooperative split into four new groups to pursue small business endeavours consisting of farming, fishing, baking and setting up a tuck shop in order to increase their profit margin.

St. Peter's Satellite Groups

In May, 2007, MariElena encouraged the 35 women of St. Peter's Sewing Cooperative to multiply and diversify, to call in their friends. As a result, six new small business groups were formed with start-up money of $150 each. These women, who have only very meagre resources, are eager for "self-improvement" in business skills. Our partners at Bumi Bwesu Youth Center provided business classes.

The group is still active and strong. In 2010, we advised them on the future loan program, as they have proven to be very successful with the grants they were given. The women welcomed us with open arms: they sang and danced for us, and cooked a wonderful meal for us. It included fresh roasted peanuts, scones and muffins, cassava raw and roasted, and a wonderful dish of pureed pumpkin, sweet potatoes and corn.

There are 40 members of the group, and 70 members of the parish church. There are 80 orphans in the village, whose school expenses are being paid by the ladies. There were 108 when MariElena first came. The numbers are lower because the other 28 children have completed the 8th grade. Grades 1-8 are "free" (parents still have to pay for uniforms, school supplies, books and PTA fees). If you can't pay for those things, you cannot go to school. High Schools are not free. The St. Peter's group cannot pay for older orphans to continue school, so while children with parents continue to go to school, orphans often stop at grade 7 or 8. Some Zambians I have spoken with attribute the rising rates of prostitution and crime to a new generation of orphans growing up with no hope of a bright future.

St. Peter's Group I (The Mother Boady)

The Mother Boady Women's Group runs a Tuck Shop based in town. The scones that the women make themselves sell well. They would like to discontinue the Tuck Shop, and are designing business plan before redirecting. They will work with BBYC on the plan. The group already has a bank account, but profits seem low.

St. Peter's Group II

This group of women knits baby outfits, which sell very well during the rainy season. Knitting is very slow, though, and the women want to supplement the knitting with the sale of fried caterpillars and rice. They will submit a proposal in 2009.

St. Peter's Group III

They have been buying and selling fish. Moving to tailoring during the winter fish ban. They are using the machines bought by give a Jumpstart in 2005.

St. Peter's Group IV

elling casava and groundnuts at the market. They had a slow period, things are picking up now. They are looking for funding to hire laborers to clear land that they have, to use for farming.