Located in the heart of Mugamba village, 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 being encouraged by a Tudienzele VSLA facilitator, Safyatu joined VSLA activities in September 2024, securing a loan to start a small community business. She borrowed 150,000 FC from the DIVENU group and started her business in a small space. Using a bike, she purchased one sack of bakery flour for 120,000 CF (40 USD) from Angola, 150 km from her village. She quickly established a small bakery that is gaining popularity among community residents in Mugamba, producing a variety of breads.
The initial production run was 75 loaves of bread, made from 6.5 kg of flour. The loaves were priced at 500 CF or 200 CF each for the smaller loaves. Two months later, as the business expanded, Madame Safyatu increased her output to one sack (25 kg), a process that takes two days. She now generates a profit of 200,000 FC. Furthermore, the rarity of bread in the area, coupled with the considerable distance to nearby cities such as Kamonia and Tchikapa, has resulted in her cultivating a loyal customer base that extends beyond Mugamba village. In addition to providing a reliable source of income for her family, the bakery has significantly improved the village’s access to bread.
Despite incurring significant losses due to a sudden surtax on the supply route to the Angolan border, where more affordable flour can be purchased, Ms Safyatu, aged 63, stated that bankruptcy does not pose an imminent risk to the 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, which makes 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’s and two children’s schooling in Tchikapa.
Safyatu said, “As I grow older, my small bakery has become a significant source of support for me and my family. People in the community come to buy bread, and my grandchildren help with production. This has become a family business since my husband left”.
Madame Safyatu is a prime example of the impact of village savings and loans associations in promoting economic resilience, fostering community ties, and solving internal problems in villages where the Tudienzele project is implemented.