Maung Dein village, situated in Pin Laung Township, has 47 households and a total population of 223. The villagers primarily farm corn. The village’s topography is encircled by sloping, barren land that is difficult to work. Farmers depend entirely on manual, hand labor to prepare the land and to distribute seeds and fertilizers. As this is their only agricultural crop, income is extremely limited with such a small harvest each year. The headman shared, “It was inconvenient for us to grow just one type of crop due to poor transportation. If transportation were improved, we could cultivate additional crops, knowing we could get them to market year-round.”
The challenge wasn’t just what they could grow, but how they could move what they grew. The village’s only road, a 1.3-kilometer dirt path just 13 feet wide, connected Maung Dein to the outside world. Every rainy season, the road became impassable, cutting the village off completely. Families had to stockpile seeds, fertilizer, and rice months in advance, often borrowing at high interest rates to do so. These early, expensive purchases ate into any profits they might earn. The road wasn’t just inconvenient—it was a barrier to progress.
With her first loan, Rosa bought more seeds and fertilizer for her garden and bought fish in bulk to sell to other community members in the village. Both were profitable ventures for her. Specifically, she was excited about having greater crop yields in her garden. She shared that, “Once a week, I harvest vegetables from my garden and send my grandchildren to market to sell them. They sell everything and make at least K 400 ($14). This is a great improvement.”
Rosa comfortably paid back her first loan. Now, encouraged by her success, she borrowed K 3,000 ($107) during the second loan period. She’s using this loan to continue increasing the scope of her garden and fish business.
Increasing her monthly profits has led to dramatic improvements in Rosa’s life. Now she can buy additional food for herself and her family, ensuring everyone eats regular meals. Additionally, her profits allowed her to set money aside to support her grandchildren’s education. She bought the uniforms and books required for them to attend Siyowi Primary School. For her, loans from the Community Bank have opened new doors, allowing her to improve the well-being of her family and help invest in their future. Rosa also believes that the Community Bank is a powerful tool to drive change in Mpasu, especially for women. She said, “I am encouraging other women to continue borrowing from the Community Bank and to pay back their loans. This is part of development in Mpasu”.