Recently, we received some very exciting updates from the organization Color Me In! We previously wrote about Color Me In! and CMI founder Sarah Grant, and we wanted to share them with the Tribal Truth community.
From the Color Me In! August newsletter:
Itamina: An organization of ten members sharing physical disabilities, their name translates in Bemba as “We will show them.” With a loan of $1,000 through CMI to keep bees, Itamina is now growing over 1,000 tree seedlings and half their bee hives are occupied.
Tiyeseko: A women’s club who borrowed $1,000 back in 2009 to keep chickens – they have now fulfilled their loan commitments, bought their own tract of land, and supported a nearby community effort to help the vulnerable with their profits. Over 1,000 trees planted and still counting.
Mopimbishi: A women’s club of 50 members, they have built a piggery and are planting 5,000 tree seedlings. When one woman transplants 200 seedlings, she is eligible to receive offspring from the group pig project.
Nundwe & Loepard: These two groups started revolving loan funds at 5% interest with members choosing to buy and resell local produce. They use their profits to help support a local, growing community school as well as those who have been orphaned. They are planting together in abandoned fields which have lost their fertility.
MILEX: The community school has been struggling with the hammer mill that they bought with a loan from CMI in 2009 – while they work on repairs, the PTA is working on planting pine trees with the local basic school, starting a garden and field to help support the school, and they are actively working to fix the broken portion of the food processing machine.
Family Health Trust: This organization began a Sewing to Save initiative with a CMI Green Loan to raise money by selling school uniforms and bags. The profits are going to be used to supply low interest loans to women’s groups in the area. About to realize their first round of profits, FHT is working with locals schools to plant trees.
Savings and Loans Association: With a loan of $2,500 to keep broiler chickens, the SLA has used their profits to help sponsor small business skills trainings to five women’s groups in the local area. This week they are returning from an exchange visit with nearby CMI partners to learn more about tree planting for the coming rainy season.
Tilele, Tikhazisiye, & Tikondane: These three groups have begun a set of diverse enterprises including poultry rearing, piggery, and vegetable resale. With the profits they have bought books for local children to use in school, and they aspire to build a community school with profits from a second round of loans. Hundreds of trees have been planted and are being tended to in nearby abandoned fields.
Twikatane: This group of farmers has begun a vegetable garden and their crops are growing well. While we search for a solution to red spider attacks on the tomatoes, they are gearing up to learn about tree planting.
