Two very kind hearted and compassionate daughters of Zion gave substantial amounts of money as seeds to increase the capital base of widows in Business to enable them meet more of their family needs. Some other partners caught the vision to give to this Fund. We had a very rigorous interview process that involved visits to their business locations and a total of thirty widows were shortlisted to receive funds from this Scheme. Out of these, only twenty three of them met all the criteria including Bank details and so received funds. Most of them have good testimonies of the expansion that these funds have brought to their businesses, bringing more profit which has enabled them to meet some specific needs, from the very tangible to the just something better. We also held some business methods and recording training sessions for them all. 

Here are some of these blessed widow: 

Chinwe M. 42 years, TRM ID No. 157.
Business: sells ladies shoes, slippers and sandals at Aguda market, Surulere, Lagos.Now a landlady instead of a tenant!
The funds enabled Chinwe, who is a very enterprising trader, to pay for goods she was buying on credit, add handbags to stock, and buy in larger quantities at lower prices. The profits have helped her to pay off the cost of buying her shop in the market.

Grace O. 59years, TRM ID No. 118
Business: a small scale producer of imitation leather and cloth gift bags – handbags, purses, school bags, and travelling bags. 
The funds made it possible for her to meet more demands of group orders of the bags especially as souvenirs and increase the variety to handbags, purses and travelling bags for festive periods. 

Remilekun R. 46 years, TRM ID. No. 446
Business: Catering Services:  producing chin-chin, plantain chips and food.
Funds have made it possible for her to buy raw materials in bulk and increase profitability which has helped her in feeding her children better.

Eucharia O. 54 years, TRM ID No. 21; 
Business: Supply of Hospital Equipments ( (Physiotherapy and Orthopedic) 
Funds have enabled her to fund more supplies and given her the confidence to start looking for a shop as an outlet that will increase her sales.

Regina A. 46 years, TRM ID No. 301
Business:  Catering Services (Mama Put) Rice, plantain, beans. 
Funds have enabled her to cook larger quantities, add more products like chicken and turkey meat, spaghetti, macaroni and she is using the profits to take care of herself, and her children in the university.

Yinka O. 48 years, TRM ID No. 561
Business: Sells biscuits & sweets; writing materials in front of a primary school.
Funds have enabled her increase products with addition of bottled water, etc and feed her family well. 

Mary A. 50 years. TRM ID No. 215
Business:  Trading of Soft Drinks/Water
Funds have enabled her to buy in larger quantities. She was able to pay her house rent from the proceeds. 

Alice E. 51 years, TRM ID No. 101 
Business: Production of fruit juice and liquid wash.  
Funds have enabled her to increase production use the proceeds to pay her bills.

Odion O. 39 years, TRM ID No. 1764
Business: Fruit seller
Funds enabled her to buy fruits in large quantities and better able to take care of her family needs.

Ijeoma N. 51 years; TRM ID No:  158:
Business: Catering Services- cakes and cooking for functions. 
Funds enabled her to buy a standard Oven and this has increased her sales and profits to meet family needs.  

Beatrice A. 57 Years; TRM ID No:  170
Business:  Sells yam, Corn, Local pear and Coconut
Funds enabled her to expand to roasting of yam and plantain, buy in larger
quantities and use proceeds to take care of her bills. 

Uju O. 52 Years; TRM ID No:  237
Business:  Fries Akara, yam and plantain and also sells bread, Akamu, 
Funds enabled her to start buying in large quantities and she is using the 
proceeds to take care of herself and her children. 

Rose A. 49 Years; TRM ID No: 20 
Business:  Selling Palm Oil in bottles.
Funds enabled her to buy in bulk, sell and use profit to pay off her accumulated Electricity bills and feed her family better.   

Patience U. 70 years, TRM ID No. 371; 
Business: Private home School.                                                                                              
Funds enabled her repair the leaking roofs in the temporary shelters used for the school and get back her students so she can keep up payments for family needs.

Chinwe U.
Business: Sales of soup items at a bus stop.  
Funds enabled her to increase her range and stock and use profits for children’s welfare.