boosting women-owned enterprises
Grace Mapulanga boosted her business with a MK500,000 NEEF women enterprise loan and she now makes a profit of more than MK80,000 per month.
Grace Mapulanga, 44, is a business woman who runs a grocery shop in Lilongwe, Area 49 Shire. She started her business with a capital of MK300,000 from which she was realizing a profit of less than MK30,000 per month. She saw a need to boost her business capital so that she could meet the rising demand of customers. An opportunity rose where a group called Together As One was looking for a member to make it a group of 10 people to meet one of the requirements for accessing a group loan at National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF).
Through this group, Mapulanga managed to get a loan from NEEF of MK500,000 and she immediately boosted her business capital and opened another grocery. She currently owns 2 grocery shops where different items are sold including chicken, legumes (groundnuts, soya beans), rice and Irish potato. She also managed to start a mandasi (doughnut) business.
Overall, she now realizes a profit of more than MK80,000 per month. Her vision is to setup a wholesale shop in Shire market. Mapulanga is truly an inspirational woman and a true definition of the benefits of persistence and hard work.