Nellie Chimkota

Yesterday, I went with some colleagues to visit one of our agricultural clients. We met Nellie Chimkota a client of 15 years who runs a dairy buisness from her home.

Nellie’s Story:

Before joining a village bank in 1996, she was a teacher in a government school, earning a minimal salary. With her loan, she bought one cow and started the dairy, since her income was not sufficient to provide food and school fees for her nine school-age children. The cow produced about 10 to 15 litres of milk each say, which she sold to the ‘Dairy bord’ bottling station in Mikolongwe. Nellie easily repaid her second cycle loan with her profits and even managed to save! The next loan she used to buy another cow, and then another. . .


With her suplemented income and growing dairy business, Nellie was able to put her nine children through secondary school, and three of them through university. Now, her husband is retired and devotes all his energy to the dairy business. Nellie continues to teach at a private school. Although her own children are grown, she cares and pays school fees for three orphaned children, another three (of eleven!) grandchildren and cares for her 2 year old great-grandson while his mom is in college (which Nellie pays for). Nellie’s income also supports her mother, who lives independently in the village, and her ill sister who can no longer work. Nellie says that her growing business barely keeps up with it all!

The business remains strong and ever-growing. She currently has six cows; 4 are preganant, and she says she will keep the female offspring to grow the business and sell any males. The cows are milked twice daily; morning milk is transported to the same bottler in Miklongwe, and afternoon milk is sold fresh to local villagers.

Without village banking, Nellie says, she never could have put her children through secondary school or college. One daughter is now a (controversial..) member of parliament! Nor would she have been in a position to care for any her "grandchildren", refering to the seven various children at home. This was her advice to me, "you know in life, you have to struggle for a time, it keeps you moving forward, keeps you thinking. But," she adds, " I will not struggle in the future, that is my prayer."



fresh (awkwardly warm) milk that Nellie gave me!



milking 'katarina'



the cow pens



checking out Nellies' new swag