Microfinance: Supporting Small Businesses and Self-Reliance
In 2009, Develop Africa’s microfinance program supported individuals and small businesses in Sierra Leone with training and interest-free microcredit loans.
The goal was simple: help people strengthen their businesses, increase their income, and become more self-supporting.
During a visit to Freetown, Develop Africa President Sylvester Renner visited several businesses that had benefited from the program.
One of those businesses belonged to Seray Kallon, a mother of three who operated a provisions and general merchandise store off Wilkinson Road.
Seray was separated from her husband, and her family depended on the income from her business.
For her, access to business capital was not simply about growing a shop. It was about supporting her family and building a more stable future.
Taking Support Beyond the Loan
Develop Africa’s approach went beyond providing funds.
During the site visits, the team assessed how beneficiary businesses were progressing. They looked at the businesses on the ground, identified challenges, and offered recommendations.
This provided an opportunity to understand how financial support was being used and what business owners needed to keep moving forward.
At the time, Develop Africa was also receiving requests from individuals and small businesses seeking support ranging from approximately $200 to $5,000.
For a small business, access to even a modest amount of capital can help with inventory, equipment, or other business needs.
Building Self-Reliance
Microfinance was part of Develop Africa’s wider focus on empowerment.
The aim was not to create long-term dependence on donations.
It was to give hardworking individuals access to resources that could help them build sustainable sources of income.
The stories behind these businesses show why this matters.
A small enterprise can support a household.
A stronger household can give children greater stability.
And a business owner who gains the resources to grow can create opportunities that extend beyond their own family.
A Lesson That Still Matters
The 2009 site visits offered a clear reminder:
Development is not only about providing assistance. It is also about helping people build the capacity to support themselves.
Microfinance was one way Develop Africa worked toward that goal.
By combining access to capital with training, follow-up, and practical business support, the program sought to help entrepreneurs move their businesses forward.
The businesses may have been small.
The aspirations behind them were not.
