BIRTKUWAN ANULO – 18 years
For Birtkuwan, it all boils down to saving. And to save you must be ready to deny yourself. At 18 years of age, she’s quickly learning that money only grows when you put it away, not when you spend it. She’s a member of the Kiemese Saving and Loans Association Group.
Before joining the savings and loan association group she had experience in business or handling money but things started to change when she joined Smart Steps where she started saving 30 birr per week. This meagre savings enabled her to take a loan from her VSLA group which went to start a fruit business. She’d sell the fruits by the roadside. That went well until she fell sick and had to spend the money on medical fees.
When she regained her health she took another loan of 1,000 ETB and revived the business. It bore fruit, a profit of 500 birr was released which she used to repay part of the loan. At this point, she noticed that her skin was breaking only to discover that direct sunlight was causing her allergies. It didn’t feel feasible to continue sitting by the roadside any longer. She discussed this new development with her husband, Anulo Menedo, 25, a motorbike driver and small-scale farmer. They arrived at a decision; instead of roasting in the sun selling lemons, she could start selling benzene (fuel) on top of the fruit business.
She took a third loan, 1500 ETB, added 400 birr to it, and bought benzene from the gas station. The business picked. After two months she had paid all her loans. Encouraged, she decided to diversify further and took the fourth loan and bought four chickens and a roaster. She started selling eggs on top of selling lemons and apples in the local market in the afternoons under a shade. From fruits alone, she earns more than 150 ETB in two days.
Birtkuwan is a grade 8 dropout. She got a baby when she was 17 years old and together with her husband, Anulo, a motorbike driver and farmer. They live in a modest three-roomed house. She can’t recognise the woman she was before joining VSLA. The association has opened her eyes to even greater possibilities. “I have plans to buy and fatten goats and cows for milk.” She says. She gets all these ideas from interacting with other girls in the association when they share their experiences.
“I’m not a housewife anymore, “ she says proudly, “I’m a business owner who also supports her husband by contributing to the family expenses.” Because of this, her husband looks at her in a different light; as “a partner, and because of this he offers me moral support by occasionally washing dishes and even taking care of our child.”
