Just Small Change receive the support of Coinadrink.

Just Small Change

Just Small Change is a microfinance charity, supporting businesses in developing countries. By providing small scale loans, saving schemes and business training they enable individuals to start small businesses to build a pathway out of poverty.

This brilliant scheme, contributes to economic development in poor countries. An individual with a regular income can meet their own daily needs, including food, school fees, books and uniform, basic healthcare services and housing allowing them the opportunity to achieve a life free from poverty with dignity and purpose.

We support Just Small Change in their objective to finance small businesses in developing countries. This is a successful project; following three six-month loans most borrowers have saved enough to no longer require microfinance. The funds are then recycled to a new borrower.

We donate a percentage of our water sales to supporting Just Small Change.

£ 3000

To Help Support The Charity To Date

How We Help

Coinadrink pledge to donate a portion of our bottled water sales to the organisation. With each donation, we are giving individuals in some of the poorest parts of the world a chance to enjoy a respectful life, and we’re proud to be part of such an excellent charity.

Coinadrink are proud to support Just Small Change.
Just Small Change supported Ladies for a better Life

Our Progress

Ladies For a Better Life.

We have previously supported the Ladies For a Better Life group, who were residing in the Western region of Kenya. Ladies For a Better Life helped six women escape poverty through making a success of their own business, and just one of the positive stories was that of Carolyne Anyango. With the Kshs 20,000 loan received from Just Small Change, she can now afford to feed all her children three meals a day and pay their school fees.

Focussed Ladies

From there, we then supported Focussed Ladies. Similarly to Ladies for a Better Life, Focussed Ladies provided a path for African women to escape poverty, and we’ve picked out Jane Achieng Otiu as one of the successful stories. With the Kshs 25,000 loan she was granted she can also provide all of her children with three meals and education.

We were proud to support the Focussed Ladies campaign for Just Small Change.
OLPS is another successful project as part of Just Small Change.

OLPS

We now support the OLPS project, which supports the residents of Kisumu in Kenya. Kisumu is highly regarded to be one of the poorest parts of the world and is severely affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. OLPS has made a valued difference. Clients’ income has seen an improvement, as has areas such as mentoring and training.

Keziah and Charles is one of the most heart-warming stories. The couple are married and have a one year old son named Gerry. Previous to the help of OLPS, the pair were struggling to make ends meet from Charles’ business riding a bicycle taxi, but now profits are booming from a different trade making rosaries and bead necklaces.

A message from Kisimu, Kenya, to Coinadrink…

In Spring 2019, Just Small Change were going from strength to strength and employed Roselyne Okanda to train and distribute loans to 34 new clients. The training was funded courtesy of the £1500 we raised for the organisation on our 55th party night in January 2018, so we’re pleased we have helped to make a difference.

In December 2019, we received a kind-hearted message from Roselyne thanking us for our support throughout the year.

A small group standing in front of a building.

November 2020: An update.

The impact of the Coronavirus pandemic has significantly affected the area of Kisumu, Kenya and this has meant that no new clients have been recruited to a Just Small Change support programme all year. Despite this, Roselyne and Emily have done a wonderful job in supporting their existing clients and keeping in regular contact.

Whilst the capital of Kenya, Nairobi, has been hit the hardest with the virus, the Kisumu region has itself recorded 1616 cases from March to November. Residents have had to follow all the mandatory protocols such as wearing face coverings and adhering to social distancing. Just Small Change stated that coronavirus is merely another challenge that the locals have to face.

The current plan is to start the training for new clients in late February / early March 2021, subject to Kenyan National & Kisumu County guidelines & restrictions. Members of existing groups have already identified and proposed new clients for the programme in addition to those who were previously assessed by partners of Just Small Change.

August 2021: The latest Covid update.

Kisumu in Kenya was subject to all Covid restrictions throughout the pandemic. To make matters worse there was little Government support for those who had lost their jobs, so spending was low.

Despite this, 28 clients were able repay their loans since September 2020, a wonderful achievement. Moreover, new loans were distributed from April 2021.

Regrettably, Covid struck the region hard again at the start of June. It was during this time that a lot more deaths were sadly recorded, with many of the clients’ husbands falling victim to the virus.

Restrictions were again imposed and face-to-face sessions were halted, meaning there were rising costs for the charity through phone calls and other avenues.

Now in August 2021, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel, though with just 2% of entire country’s population receiving the vaccine, there is a long way to go.

You can also read more about a new project the organisation are supporting in Mali.

A group of women holding certificates in front of a building after a just small change.

Support reaches Mbale, Uganda…

In 2023, Just Small Change moved into the Mbale region, Uganda. Here, they are making a positive impact to local communities through a goat-rearing project and village savings scheme.

Coinadrink’s funding is helping people forge a route out of poverty through a stable income. The goat-rearing projects enables 30 vulnerable women to improve the diets of their children with the milk, whilst the sales of the kid goats helps to provide a better life.

Meanwhile, the village savings scheme works in conjunction to educate the women on the value of saving their newfound money. A team effort, women can save their spare funds which can then be borrowed by others at an agreed rate of interest.

You can learn more about this latest project via our blog.

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