Benita Bien-Aimé, pictured with two of her children, is a beneficiary of the small business loans funded by the Raising Haiti Foundation.
Loans are repaid in monthly installments over six months. After repayment of her loan, each client may apply for a larger loan. To date, there is a 100 percent loan repayment rate in both communities, in part due to the beneficiaries organizing themselves into “families” of women, with an elected “mother.” If a member is unable to repay her loan, her “family members” come together to assist with the repayment. exemplifies some of the achievements of the microcredit clients.
It was not easy for me when I tried to move forward in my education. School opened each year in September, but I couldn’t start classes until January because my parents’ economic means were so low. I’m proud to say I eventually obtained a high school diploma. I then had a chance to go to university and study nursing, but I couldn’t finish. I got stuck in my third year due to lack of finances.
I remember a moment when I could not buy milk for my babies. And I could not buy the other items that they needed, like diapers. That touched me to the bottom of my heart. I saw the needs of my children, but I did not have any way to satisfy them, to actually take care of my babies. It hurt me very deeply as a mother.A mother’s love is equally strong in every country. How did you find out about the Smallholder Farmers Alliance? We had to close my shop in 2017 due to lack of funds.
It was in September 2020 that I got the good news from Danord Baptiste. He’s the SFA microcredit agent for our area. He registered me in the program, and my first loan was for about $50. It was a very exciting moment.In the past, I had the experience of feeling very, very bad when clients came asking for specific products that I didn’t have.