Resty Musoke began her journey with FINCA in 2000. That was the year that FINCA opened a branch in a town near her village. Resty needed a loan to invest in her smallholder farm, but no one would lend her the necessary capital to improve her livelihood.
The income from her farm and her husband’s job as a mechanic was not enough to improve their precarious situation. It only covered the basics. And Resty, then late thirties, was supporting her younger children, the grandchild of her eldest, and several nieces and nephews of her sister, who had passed away.
To put it bluntly, life was not easy for Resty. That said, Resty knew that she was luckier than most. Her parents were able to keep her in school until middle school – more education than many women of her generation received. But that only made Resty want even more for her own children and grandchildren. She wanted them to finish secondary school entirely and maybe go even further.
As a member of one of FINCA’s Village Banks, Resty received her first loan for 100,000 Ugandan shillings, about $40. The amount may seem trivial, but Resty was able to put it and subsequent, larger loans to work.
Over time, the income from her farm grew. The increased profit allowed Resty to build a safer and cleaner home for her family. She now has a concrete floor, proper furniture, solar lighting, and is in the process of installing a larger water tank for personal use, with the potential of selling water to neighbors. More importantly, Resty earned enough money to pay for school fees for her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
“None of this would have happened without FINCA,” remarks Resty.
Financial inclusion is the hallmark of FINCA’s missions. Throughout the world, there are many women like Resty—talented, driven, knowledgeable. Women who need nothing more than a small loan but are locked out of the financial system due to perceived riskiness or unprofitability.
A loan from FINCA is a catalyst, an opportunity for a fresh start. With your continued support, we at FINCA can continue to give women like Resty the means to transform their lives.
