Located in the heart of Mugamba village, 63 year-old Madame Safyatu Mwamba Tchibola’s small bakery plays a vital role in supplying bread to local residents. She established the bakery to provide a sustainable income for her family after spending many years as a widow with no support or means to provide for them.
After encouragement from a Tudienzele VSLA facilitator, Safyatu joined in September 2024 and took out a loan to start a small business. She borrowed 150,000 FC from the DIVENU group and began working from a small space. Using a bicycle, she traveled 150 km to Angola to purchase a 25 kg sack of bakery flour for 120,000 CF (40 USD).
She quickly set up a small bakery that is now growing in popularity among residents of Mugamba village, producing a variety of breads.
The initial production run was 75 loaves of bread, sold at 500 CF each, or 200 CF for smaller loaves. Two months later, as the business grew, Safyatu increased production to one 25 kg sack, a process that takes two days. She now earns a profit of 200,000 FC.
Because bread is rare in the area and nearby cities like Kamonia and Tchikapa are far away, Safyatu has built a loyal customer base that reaches beyond Mugamba village. In addition to providing steady income for her family, her bakery has greatly improved access to bread in the community.
Despite incurring significant losses due to a sudden surtax on the supply route to the Angolan border, where more affordable flour can be purchased, Safyatu shares bankruptcy does not pose an imminent risk to her business.
According to heand the other group members, there are at least four checkpoints where a fee of at least 6,500 FC must be paid on both the outward and return journeys. These taxes make it difficult to make a substantial profit from the business. However, the income she generates enables her to provide food for her family and support her grandchildren and children’s schooling in Tchikapa.
Safyatu afirma: “A medida que envejezco, mi pequeña panadería se ha convertido en una importante fuente de sustento para mí y mi familia. La gente de la comunidad viene a comprar pan, y mis nietos ayudan en la producción. Esto se ha convertido en un negocio familiar desde que mi marido se marchó”.
Madame Safyatu es un excelente ejemplo del impacto de las asociaciones de ahorro y préstamo de las aldeas en la promoción de la resiliencia económica, el fomento de los lazos comunitarios y la resolución de problemas internos en las aldeas donde se ejecuta el proyecto Tudienzele.