Ngara TZ – Business improves income and creates employment – 15 Oct 2019

Mama EAG has been a cook at Kabalenzi Primary School for over six years. In June, she received a payment advance of 415,000 TZS ($182 USD). She purchased cooking materials and started a restaurant. Now she earns a net income of 80,000 TZS (USD $35) per month from her restaurant.

In addition to cooking at the school, Mama EAG ran a catering business that earned 250,000 TZS ($110 USD) per event. On average she would get hired 1 time per month for events. She wanted to improve her income by using the same skills she had developed cooking for the school and for private customers. She used her loan to purchase three hot serving pots, 12 cups, 12 plates, 40 kg rice, and pay for the one month rent for a restaurant space. Mama EAG now earns an additional net income of 80,000 TZS ( $35 USD) per month from her restaurant.

Mama EAG has to pay someone to work at her restaurant in the mornings while she is working at the school. This is a challenge for her but an employment opportunity for someone else. She pays an employee about 70,000 TZS ($30 USD) per month for working a few hours per day on school days. Her next biggest expense is transportation, especially when she has to move her equipment around for catering events.

She hopes to continue to improve her restaurant and catering businesses by expanding enough to serve 250 to 300 people at events such as weddings, funerals, and school graduations. Additionally, she hopes to apply for another loan to buy a motorbike which will help her transport her cooking materials.