Neema John is a 44-year-old widow and the mother of 4 adorable girls. She was introduced to BUWEA by Consolata, a leader within this microfinance program when she visited her village at Ibaraizibu. She joined BUWEA in early 2015 and is today so grateful fo the impact it has had not only on her life but on her daughters too.  

Before joining BUWEA, she had no income-generating work as she just owned a small piece of land left by her deceased husband. When she joined BUWEA she was able to obtain a loan of TZS 120,000, equivalent to $60 USD. This loan helped her to buy a sewing machine as well as the African print fabric to sew clothing for many in her village. 

Today her sewing business is providing enough income to pay for all four of her daughter’s primary school fees!

After paying back her first loan as her business grew, she took another loan of TZS 150,000, equivalent to $75 USD, to buy more fabric so she could take orders from other women in her village. In her village, she is the only woman tailor and many families prefer her seamstress work to other men in her community with sewing businesses. 

She believes that without BUWEA she would never have been able to achieve all that she has. In the coming months, she is planning to hire someone else to help her expand her business and receive many more orders.