Mathare Jirani Mwema Self-Help Group

Mathare Jirani Mwema SHG Is a beneficiary of the Uwezo Fund. The group is located in Mathare Constituency, Hospital Ward, in Nairobi County. The group is composed of 32 members.
The group was formed initially as a merry-go-round with an aim to empower members to sustain their basic needs. The group joined and applied Uwezo Fund in the year 2015 following the inception of the Fund and received their first Wezesha loan of Kshs 100,000.They are in waiting of the processing of the Endeleza loan they applied for.
The group makes their own Custom made leather shoes, wallets and belts from locally available materials as group’s income generating business. Additionally the group owns rental structures at Mathare, which are rented out to generate income for the group. The group carry out table banking with money revolving around members as loan and payable at an interest.
George Awuor representing the Youth group at the Nairobi international Trade fair lauded the Fund for financially empowering their journey of transitioning from repairing shoes to making their own custom-made leather products and additionally providing livelihood to members and the few young men they have employed. Awuor further highlighted that through the Fund; members have been empowered and have been able to branch out to start their own leatherwork businesses dealing with other leather products in additional to the group’s business. Through the fund, the members have overtime been empowered to sustain themselves and their family. Further, he urged youths and other groups to apply the Fund and finance their businesses to empower themselves economically and avoid crime
The group is currently practicing table banking with the money revolving among its members to empower the members with individual businesses to access a group loan payable with interest. The group makes their own Custom made leather shoes, wallets and belts from locally available materials as group’s income generating business. 
Additionally the group owns rental structures at Mathare that are rented out to generate income for the group. The group carry out table banking with money revolving around members as loan and payable at an interest.
At the show, he applauded the favorable terms of the Fund including the six months grace period that gives ample time to repay the loan together and the zero interest rate on it. He urged borrowers to repay to be able to access refinancing by the Fund. He commended how affirmative loan like Uwezo Fund has instilled financial discipline among the members for you have to repay to access refinancing.