Acumen Founder Jacqueline Novogratz visits with Juhudi clients

Elizabeth, a Juhudi Kilimo borrower and single mother of 6

Juhudi welcomed a visit from Jacqueline Novogratz, the founder and CEO of Acumen Fund, at our Kitale office this month. Jacqueline, Country Director Biju Mohandas, and Senior Associate Amon Anderson spent two days visiting clients in the area hosted by our COO Benjamin Kimosop. Jacqueline wrote in detail about her visit in her Journal. Here she describes a visit with a Juhudi client called Elizabeth.


The other stand-out for me is Elizabeth. A woman of scattered teeth and an oversized suit (that looked like something from Donna Karan in the 1980s) with a colorful scarf wrapped round her head and a constantly ringing cell phone in her hand, Elizabeth cuts quite the figure and I like her right away - though I also underestimate her.


“I’m a single mother with six children,” she tells us. She has four daughters and two sons, most of whom are grown now and working in different parts of the country. “It wasn’t easy. When I took my first loan, you know, I had nothing of my own. I owned no land, no house, and had no real education. I borrowed 20,000 shillings (about 250 dollars) to rent an acre of land so that I could grow crops and sell the produce in the market. Once I repaid that loan, I used my profits to buy a half-acre and make sure I grew enough to bring profits. I took a third loan to buy another acre and you know, now I am a real businesswoman who makes money. My children, they help me so that we are all part of the business.” Her son travels back and forth to Sudan, selling her vegetables at local markets.


Two daughters help her with the farm itself. Her mother lives nearby. Elizabeth is full of sparkle and life and you can feel she has not an ounce of pity for herself anywhere in her body. Indeed, she exudes the opposite. “Now, finally, I have bought cows and broilers and have so many businesses. And with my income I am putting up a house on my acreage. You must come and see it.” I ask her what she would do to build Africa, as opposed to what the politicians are doing. “You know, those guys, they think we only want money. They can’t buy us anymore. You see, money is like water. It just flows right through your fingers. If they want our votes, from now on they need to give us education. That is the only thing you will always have, that no one can take from you.”

See page 9 of Jacqueline's Journal of her visit to Kenya and Uganda for a full account of her visit with Juhudi's clients.