Jamii Bora is the largest microfinance institution in Kenya, with over 17.000 debtors. It was started by Ingrid Munro in 1999 in Nairobi, Kenya, and by 50 women that lived on the streets and earned their living by begging or were human trafficking victims at the moment of starting Jamii Bora.
This business model turned them from beggars into small businessmen, some of them being responsible for 6 small businesses nowadays.
The Jamii Bora model revolutionized a whole country and solved the problem of Nairobi slums by helping people that didn’t have housing or revenue, and girls whose only solution was prostitution.
Ingrid Munro is a Swedish citizen that worked 8 years for the Swedish government. Afterwards, she started her career as an advocate for poor Kenyans, by emphasizing their rights as a member of Habitat and the African Housing Fund, a group that advocates for homeless people’s rights in Africa.
Ingrid’s father was a missionary and a doctor. She is a Christian and got a lot of support from Swedish churches, even though Jamii Bora is helping both Christians and Muslims living in Kenya in the same time.
How did it work?
In 1999, Ingrid lent $5 to 50 women beggars out of Nairobi, Kenya, with the condition that they start save and deposit part of the sum. They would add to this sum, and Jamii Bora would double the next loan.
People started using the money for small businesses or to improve their houses or education.
Wilson, for example, was a notorious thief and one of the most wanted criminals. Today he is a business man thanks to the Jamii Bora model. We can now see that if people are granted the necessary help and trust, this can change their lives.
Jamii Bora is working with all types of people in the slum, including disabled beggars, clan members or HIV infected people.
Mother Ingrid, as she is called by the people she helped, saw an opportunity to better the society by lending a helping hand to those that take it. I think one of Jamii Bora’s secrets is that we accept and love everyone the same.
Ingrid follows the principle of teaching the poor how to fish, instead of giving them fish.
“At Jamii Bora, we don’t say NO to the poor, not even to the most aggressive beggars, we don’t exclude criminals or prostitutes. We don’t look down on people and tell them “You’re a bad person!”.. we tell them “There is a life and a chance for you, as well!”
Word of advice for those working and interacting with those who don’t have much: “Don’t stop the poor, don’t block their ways, but expect more out of them, for they are capable!”
“There is no limit of what we can do at Jamii Bora” is one of the organization’s motto that along with the poor people’s bank offers medical insurances and substantial loans for necessary situations, has a business school where entrepreneurs learn from each other and has recently started a program in which Jamii Bora members can buy houses at an affordable price.
So, following this model, what do we need in Romania to teach people to work and invest in the poor, to give them responsibilities and to teach them to grow?
PS: Jamii Bora means “good families” in Swahili.
You can see the Jamii Bora story here: