Ipogolo – Our Last Village Visit

Today we went to visit Ipogolo, our last village visit.  This year we are only able to spend one month in Iringa so we will only be able to visit 18 villages.  Other years we have been here 2 months, so we have been to more locations.  Still, we have been to enough locations to get a very good understanding of how things are going.

Ipogolo is one of the locations that is right on the edge of town.  As a consequence many of the SACCOS members work in town and are shop owners, etc.  Farming is common as well, but it is most often a second job.  The SACCOS here is fairly large, having grown to 93 families – or 595 people.  They have also started an AMCOS (Farmer’s co-op) here.  It is fairly new, with 43 families (or 275 people) belonging.  Last year this location supplied the ACMOS members with 280 bags of fertilizer.  The program was very well received as in other places.  Pastor Nixon (an old friend of ours) thinks that this fall there will be at least twice as many members, as people are hoping to join so that they can be part of the program.  The chairman told us that they would like to have over 500 bags of fertilizer this year.

We are building our first Integrated Development Center (or IDC) here.  It is a unique structure combining an office for the SACCOS and a small store/warehouse for the AMCOS.  It has been funded by the Peter J King Family Foundation, the same foundation that paid for the MFI building on the campus.  The structure was supposed to be completed by December, but the builder got sick and construction had to stop for a while.  When he got better the rains came.  As we noted, when we got here it had been raining every day for over 2 months.  There has not been this much rain in Iringa for many, many years.  Now it has quit raining and the IDC building is almost done.  We expect to see it completed next week before we leave.  Everyone here is very excited to move into the building.  It has gotten a lot of attention from various organizations in the area. 

When our meeting got underway, the SACCOS chair read his annual report. This SACCOS has grown its capital from a starting point of $3,000 to $18,000.  Last year they made a profit on their loans of almost $3,500.  Since farming is usually a second job here they were not hit as hard as other places by the low prices and poor yields.  As a result they had 100% repayment (they have had this every year since they started).  Like most of our locations they maintain a waiting list for membership.  This year they have 6 people working on joining.  Our SACCOS have been advised to limit membership so that members do not have to wait long periods to get credit.

Enock Ugulumu, the MFI director in Iringa, is with us today.  He is now the Interim Vice Chancellor of Resources Management for the University and so is busier than ever.  Still, he likes to go with us and visit the various locations.  He spoke for a few minutes on the benefits of having both a SACCOS and an AMCOS and how they complement each other.  Following his remarks, one of the members stood up to ask a question.  She noted that since this SACCOS is near town they have more loans being made to start small businesses (our rural mix is 85% farming and 15% business – mostly livestock – while here it is closer to 50% farming and 50% business – mostly small shops).  She said that most of those trying to start businesses have not had experience and so are struggling.  She asked if maybe we can give some training to help them.  Enock is the right person to answer this question.  Not only can Itiweni come and give a class, but Enock has run a business development center at the University for years.  He tells her that their SACCOS need only call and arrange a time and one of them will come to hold a class.  They are also welcome to come to the Peter J King Family Foundation Development Building, where Iringa Hope is located, and ask for some mentoring and they will get the help they need.

Before leaving we interviewed Yusta Sailale, a 59-year-old widow and mother of five children.  She has been a member here for 4 years.  She has a small clothing store as well as her farm.  She regularly borrows to stock her store and plant her crop.  This last year she borrowed $500.  She used half of it to upgrade her clothing store and used the rest to buy seed and fertilizer to plant her crop of maize.  After repaying her farm loan, plus laborers and transport for her crop, her profit from her farm loan was $150.  Her store netted a $50 profit, so, in all, she made a $200 profit from her loan.  She used her profit for school fees, household expenses, and to increase her savings by $50.  This year she has borrowed $550 and has once again split her loan between her store and her fields.  Her crops are looking very good this year, and she expects to be seeing more activity at her clothing store after people have harvested their crops, and therefore have some money to spend. 

We looked over the IDC building and then headed into town.  On Monday we have a large group of businessmen, government officials, and NGOs coming to the University to hear about what we are doing.  We do this every year and the interest has been growing as we grow.

We were met by Pastor Nixon.  We have known him for a long time.

They run a school here and even though it is Saturday the children were at lessons.  (Take a close look.  That is the IDC building in the background.)

We met outside in the shade of a tree directly in front of the IDC building.  They were busy working today.  The contractor had been held up by the rains and now wants to finish it.

Our Director, Enock Ugulumu, is with us today.  He likes to visit our locations and see the members whenever he can.

Before leaving we interviewed Yusta Sailale, a 59-year-old widow and mother of five children.  She has been a member here for 4 years.

As we were heading to the car a group of children came running up.  They wanted Tom to stoop over so they could touch his head with their hands.  This is a sign of respect.  There were so many of them that came that Tom had to give up after a while and just say "Kwa Heri." (Good bye)