Ngara, TZ – ETH’s path to self-reliance is building a better future – Jan 2026

ETH is a Mukirehe Primary School breakfast cook who has launched a small household goods shop after successfully purchasing a motorcycle with a low-interest motorcycle loan from SODAT and Better Lives.

With the motorcycle, he started a small transport business carrying passengers and parcels within his community. The steady income enabled him to fully repay the loan within two years and become the proud owner of his motorcycle.

With growing financial confidence, ETH joined a Village Community Bank (VICOBA), where members share savings, invest, and support one another with quick loans. Using his 200,000 TZS savings’ loan, he rented two acres of farmland and invested in bean farming. He harvested 1,561 Kgs successfully, generating strong profits of 1.9 Million that allowed ETH to reinvest beyond agriculture.

In 2025, ETH used 1.5 Millions from his earnings to launch a small shop providing essential household goods to families in his village, improving access to daily necessities while creating a new source of income. He also set aside 400,000 TZS capital to continue farming in the next agricultural season.

Today, ETH is building a stable future for his family through diversified income, savings, and entrepreneurship. His long-term dream is to own wholesale and retail businesses, expand his farmland, and provide quality education for his children.