Hope can be writ small as much as it can be writ large. This, at least, is the lesson we at the Sukuma Fund have learnt in recent months as we have attempted to assist the many thousands of entrepreneurs who have turned to us to fund them.
Take the example of Calmer Health & Skincare and its proprietor, Lyndall Jackson, one of 1,692 sole proprietors who have so far received a non-refundable grant from Sukuma. The total value of these grants is about R42.3m. With the quarantine lockdown and with a business involved in personal care, Jackson was faced with financial ruin and the potential end of her business — until her accountant applied on her behalf for a Sukuma grant.
Jackson turned calamity into opportunity. She found the power in a small thing. This is the reason Sukuma prioritised issuing survival grants. We knew rapid execution of these payments could be the difference between a small business existing or shutting its doors permanently. But we never imagined the lessons these beneficiaries would teach us.