Reports from Jamii Bora Trust, Nairobi

We will be filing reports from Nairobi where Microfinance without Borders is working with Jamii Bora Trust, an innovative Microfinance Institution with 200,000 members.

JBT was founded in 1999 by 50 beggars from Kibera, Africa's 2nd largest slum, and Ingrid Munro, a former UN worker. It has programmes that include

• savings and credit facilities in the forms of small loans to help micro entrepreneurs improve their businesses
• medical insurance for just $15 a year to cover a member and 4 dependents under the age of 18
• a 2,000 house village 40 km from Nairobi that was built at 10% of the normal cost and includes shops, market place and community facilities
• Lavuka, Swahili for 'sober', an AA-type programme
• training for members in enterprise and credit use
• training for staff

Here's a photo of Andrew Otieno, JBT Branch Manager at Toi Market, Kibera, with John and Bernard, former rebels who looted and burned down Toi Market's 1700 stall with 200 youths early in 2008 in the post-election violence in Kenya. Andrew convinced Bernard and John to stop their rebellion and to rebuild Toi Market. Today there are 3,000 stalls, John and Bernard have thriving businesses manufacturing the blue metal boxes you see behind them plus charcoal burning stoves.

As John said when I interviewed him and Bernard on 6th Nov 2008, Obama's day of election,

We couldn't believe Jamii Bora would give us a chance to get involved. We don't work for Jamii Bora, but they have given us a loan. We now have something to live for. Our lives have changed thanks to Andrew and Jamii Bora.

See video at You Tube