Bwar Kyi and her husband live in Aung Lei village. They are subsistence farmers working the small plot of land they live on to grow onions, garlic, and potatoes. The amount of money they make from farming barely feeds their family of six with little leftover for house-hold expenses.
Recently, at a Village Development Team (VDT) meeting Bwar Kyi learned about the Community Loan Fund which provides low-interest rate loans to villagers to create small business enterprises. She had never considered the idea of her own small business before as high-interest loans through local brokers make the idea of a small business startup unattainable. Hearing about a low-interest rate loan opportunity sparked an idea with her: fireworks.
Fireworks are an important accessory to all festivals and holidays in Myanmar. Originally used to scare away evil spirits, they are an integral part of holidays and gatherings in the villages. Bwar Kyi and her husband used the loan to purchase locally made fireworks to sell at the local celebrations. Villagers can now buy locally made fireworks from a village family instead of commercially manufactured ones from China.
“I have always dreamed of giving my children a better life by sending them to middle school. Now that dream has come true.” – Bwar Kyi
Together this hard-working couple identified a need in their village for product demand and created a marketable solution.
They have hit the ground running and are already turning a profit. They expect to pay back their loan in a few months and reinvest the income into growing their business. Most important to them, they can now afford the cost of sending their children to middle school in a nearby town. They have plans to expand their business and hire other villagers to help them sell their products to nearby villages. Because of your financial support and a helping hand, four children are now able to continue their education beyond 4th grade, and this family can start saving money.
