Mårten    Jan 24, 2019

Dear Siaka,
how are things for you these days?

Belated New Year's greetings for 2019; may we all make it!
Mårten

Mårten    Jul 2, 2017

Dear Siaka,
how are you doing? Still in Ivory Coast?

All the best,
Mårten

Siaka    Feb 19, 2016

Dear ZIDISHA,

It's been a very long time since I've written you a message because I have been very busy with my business, which started well. With your loans, I and my family were starting to enjoy life.

I first repaired my new house, and bought some materials to put in it, and also different beds for different rooms. I can’t thank you enough because I've been able to do many things because of the progress of my business.

I bought a big engine for grinding cassava, one big press, some plates, two balances, and 425 meters of wire fence to enclose my field near my house. I also was able to buy a new motorbike for my two wives. I was very happy because my project was going on well.

I didn’t know, though, that people were angry with me. I was surprised to see one day two old women coming into my compound asking me not to sleep in my house that night because they would be coming to do a ceremony at my compound that night. They told me many bad things that people would like to do to me. I was obliged to leave the house and only my two wives and my four children slept there. The next morning, my wives told me that the compound was full of people and some were asking about their chief. One of them said: "The chief is sick and he is not able to come today." My wives were scared, but noticed that people ran away after this information from one of them.

I was obliged to leave my village in December after two policemen missed me at home where they were trying to catch me because I was one of the leaders of a strike at our sugar factory.

I’m now living in Ivory Coast and I think that all will be okay in the future. I’m sure that I never want to leave my business. I’m thinking night and day to find a solution to be able to continue my cassava project.

I wish everybody good luck, and I’m asking God to protect us in order to realize our best wishes for this world.

I do not know why people are so jealous of me and want to do evil to me. Today, in Ivory Coast, am living without my business and without my family. I never imagined such of situation, but today I am obliged to accept it and to look for solution for myself.

I was crying at the beginning, but I found that tears cannot give me solutions. It is not easy for me now, and I need everybody's prayers.

Please pray for me, dear Zidisha, because I’m confused now and I don’t know where my life will go. Oh, God! How could my hard work give me such troubles?

Translated by Google     Show original

Dear ZIDISHA,

It's been a very long time since I've written you a message because I have been very busy with my business, which started well. With your loans, I and my family were starting to enjoy life.

I first repaired my new house, and bought some materials to put in it, and also different beds for different rooms. I can’t thank you enough because I've been able to do many things because of the progress of my business.

I bought a big engine for grinding cassava, one big press, some plates, two balances, and 425 meters of wire fence to enclose my field near my house. I also was able to buy a new motorbike for my two wives. I was very happy because my project was going on well.

I didn’t know, though, that people were angry with me. I was surprised to see one day two old women coming into my compound asking me not to sleep in my house that night because they would be coming to do a ceremony at my compound that night. They told me many bad things that people would like to do to me. I was obliged to leave the house and only my two wives and my four children slept there. The next morning, my wives told me that the compound was full of people and some were asking about their chief. One of them said: "The chief is sick and he is not able to come today." My wives were scared, but noticed that people ran away after this information from one of them.

I was obliged to leave my village in December after two policemen missed me at home where they were trying to catch me because I was one of the leaders of a strike at our sugar factory.

I’m now living in Ivory Coast and I think that all will be okay in the future. I’m sure that I never want to leave my business. I’m thinking night and day to find a solution to be able to continue my cassava project.

I wish everybody good luck, and I’m asking God to protect us in order to realize our best wishes for this world.

I do not know why people are so jealous of me and want to do evil to me. Today, in Ivory Coast, am living without my business and without my family. I never imagined such of situation, but today I am obliged to accept it and to look for solution for myself.

I was crying at the beginning, but I found that tears cannot give me solutions. It is not easy for me now, and I need everybody's prayers.

Please pray for me, dear Zidisha, because I’m confused now and I don’t know where my life will go. Oh, God! How could my hard work give me such troubles?

• M

  Mårten    Feb 24, 2016

  Dear Siaka,
  this is certainly more difficult than the jealous uncle, but please don't let that discourage you! Remember that, even in this very website's forums, there are fellow working people in Ivory Coast and Burkina that might know a thing or two about what the law says in these cases: For example, did the sugar factory strike happen recently? Is there a limitation in time for that accusation? Are you in fact "guilty" of anything in the eyes of the law?
  
  As to having to set up a whole new existence (again!) away from home, and coping with the jealousy in your home village... well, take heart in knowing that you have done it before! At least you don't have to worry about your family money-wise, you "just" have to earn for yourself right now. Also, last time proved that you have supporters in the village as well as the opposite, and this time too they will miss you and facilitate your return to your farm and real work.
  
  You've certainly earned the right to be indignant and even cry a tear or two over the injustice suffered, but as you said, that is not what will get you through this. There's a lot of people here who will search for information and solutions for you, not the least the 30-40 lenders that enjoyed 96% On-Time Repayments from you, even during your most difficult time. So, again: Stay strong through this, Siaka!

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  • Laurie    Feb 27, 2016

    Well said.

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Siaka    Jan 18, 2015

Dear members
I’m so happy to give you this message. Dear lenders it is so good to help poor men. You are making what God like. My parents told me that it is better to teach somebody to fish than to give him fish. With you lenders, you are learning me how to success to my life because without money we can’t do nothing for development.
Dear lenders, I’m so glad to inform you that I celebrated the ceremony of my new house and the `attieke’ house the last 30th December 2014. In that way please pray GOD for me because I fear my enemy. I spend one hundred cfa for the ceremony to buy ram, rice and drink. The ceremony was very interesting and I was very surprise to see all the old men of my village. My uncle who gave me troubles in my life was also present.
I thank all ZIDISHA for the good job they are doing in this world. My life has changed by ZIDISHA. I missed words to thank you. I don’t forget also to thank the first person who was also the first Peace Corps volunteer in my village.
Happy new year to you ZIDISHA. God give us what we need and also good health.

Henry    Dec 26, 2014

HI I WANT TO TRAVEL TO YOUR AREA WHAT CAN I DO, PLEASE HELP. MAY GOD BLESS YOU AMEN.

Henry    Dec 26, 2014

CONGRATULATION IN YOUR BUSINESS MAY GOD BLESS YOU AMEN.

Siaka    Dec 15, 2014

Dear Zidisha Members
I thank GOD for giving me idea to overcome my problem in my village. I was too discourage when people in my village exceptionally my uncle hate me because I did not give him chance to control my business. I thing and I’m sure that there is not a problem without solution.
I started to work with 3 women with my 2 wives making 5 women before my problem with my uncle started hating me for nothing. Being g in this situation, I decide to stop the 3 women left me with my 2 wives go on with my business. The 3 women have suffering for money business to put their children in the school. Now they run to my uncle apology him and ask him to order me to continue with my job so that they will continue their job getting money to put their children in the school. My uncle was too discouraged in from of these women and tells me: let them continue their job all the problem is finish. That is how I overcome to my problem.
Since the day that my uncle decided that the women should continue their job, I decided to repair the house for ATTIEKE. I started to repair it but the own lesson I got is that I should not trust to anybody in this world.
Yours SIAKA for ever……..

• JimVandegriff    Dec 15, 2014

  Siaka, I'm very glad there was a solution. I certainly hope that your life goes more smoothly from this point on. Hoping all is well for you and your family, Jim Vandegriff

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  • Siaka    Jan 18, 2015

    thank for your message. i'm sure that you are thinking to me. God bless you friend.

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Siaka    Oct 3, 2014

Dear zidisha members
It is long time without my activity new in zidisha for my lenders. I’m feeling well with all of my family. My attieke business is not going like I think to make it because the houses are not yet build. I like to develop my business in my village but people are giving me problems by stealing my cow in my home when I was absent. I try to find it many days but no news about it. I was very surprise to notice that no one person in the village support me to look for my cow.
Dear members of zidisha, how hard problem I’ facing? When I see my problems and how people are cursing me, I dislike continuing to live in my village. I started to make a triangular business: to raise animals with the dry residues of cassava, the residues of animal go to the cassava farm and the cassava for my small factory.
It is hurting me because I started the experience with one cow and since 2012 it started to give me child every eleven months. I get 3 children from it and it was pregnant when the unconscious people steal it. When I think how the cow is helping me and how it will help in the future, and how the experience will give me profit, I started crying.
I understand now with the absent of my cow that people in my village don’t like me to live in the village only because of my progress but what advantages can they get to practice such of jealousies?

• JimVandegriff    Oct 3, 2014

  I am really sorry to hear of these difficulties, Siaka. I think you have a good plan in your triangular business. Is there an elder, or spiritual leader in your community whom you can speak to about these problems? Wishing you the best, Jim

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Siaka    Jul 29, 2014

hello my lender.
i'm so happy to be in from of you and told you what is wrong with my activites. I and my family are fine and i hope you are also fine in your differents places.Thank for thinking to me. My activites of buldding attieke house is stopped.I'm looking for solution to finish the house. I bought all the materiels for the house.I'm looking for solution only repair the house because it is not good for me to see it without roof. i will send you the picture of this house later.

• G

  granite    Sep 4, 2014

  I read your last few posts. So, if I understand you correctly, you have been cast out of your village because you are doing better than others.
  
  This is a cultural law that you have in your community? Zidisha should consider this important aspect of your community. Maybe in the future, the community should be given the loan instead of an individual. The the proceeds of the loan are shared by the community and not just one person. And, also, there can be individual loans, with the village approval. These are important cultural aspects to consider. We do not have these rules here in the west. So our western lending practices may not fit well with you.
  
  Can you host a large feast for the people of your village? Buy some pigs and chickens to eat. And pay a band to play music while everyone dances. Maybe here at zidisha we can forgive one payment to help you show your community your appreciation for them.

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Siaka    Jun 18, 2014

Dear zidisha members
I receive your message with happiness but the problem is standing by me. I’m trying to live safe that is why nobody must know my movement. I know that you people of zidisha like me and care for my life. GOD blesses you (amen).
Dear members, except my Moto taxi that I use to move and to work for one place to another and when I came to the village my wives show me the money they have received from my solar power and the cassava grounder machine. When I see this money I ask myself: why people like my materials but they don’t like to law eyes on me.
Dear partners in this situation I’m not worried about the loan repayment but I only worried about my life.
Yours partnership for ever.
this picture is from the meeting. when i see it, i remember the speeches of that day.

• M

  Mårten    Jul 27, 2014

  Thank you for the July payment; it's much appreciated, especially considering your present situation!

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Siaka    Jun 18, 2014

Siaka    Jun 17, 2014

Dears zidisha’s member
Excuse me for the long time without any news about my project. I’m fine with all of my family but my head is full of thoughts night and day; looking for solution about one problem I’m facing.
My evolution is so clear now and I notice with my third loan that people are not happy with my success. When I started to build my houses for my attieke with my third loan some in my village are against and the majority of my family need for my loan to do what they like. It is a bad story with me but I think that God is for everybody and maybe I will get another solution in my life. My brother asked meeting with the elder of the family in order to get solution of my situation but it is too hard.
My activities of building attieke houses are stopped because after the meeting with the elder of the family, it is said to me that if I don’t want to help people in the village, I have to stop to build the houses and I have also to leave the village with all of my money. Dear lender, my life is not save now; I’m living village to village, town to town even my wives don’t know where I’m sleeping. I sometime come and visit my family but nobody knows my program. The moto taxi is helping me very well now because with it I’m taking care about myself and I’m saving money to repay the loan.
I’m looking solution all the time. Help me with ideas.

• M

  Mårten    Jun 17, 2014

  Dear Siaka,
  first of all, don't despair!! As you said, the moto taxi helps you earn a living, and if things get really tough, remember you can always reschedule the loan, to lower the monthly cost of servicing it. The most important thing is to stay safe!
  
  Clearly the persons you mentioned have not understood that they need you more than you need them, and that the community as a whole, not "just" your family, will suffer from your absence, short-term, and certainly long-term!
  
  I think one way this could be brought home to them would be for someone connected with Zidisha, such as a Client Relationship Intern, another Volunteer Mentor or a lender travelling in the area, to take the risk and try explaining to the elders that although the village can live off your hard work temporarily (solar power for their phones, instead of travelling 15km, food and employment instead of 2.5 hectares of desert, etc. etc.), there comes a time, very soon, when the attièke grinder needs to be serviced, when another panel needs to be purchased, when another piece of land needs to be made into a field. And then you, with your initiative, will be needed. We are certainly not going to lend to anyone else in Takalédougou without checking with you first who the lendee is...
  
  Stay strong!

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Siaka    Apr 4, 2014

“Oh God gives long life and prosperity to all ZIDISHA lenders”

Dear ZIDISHA’s lenders
Thank a lot for this third loan. I’m so happy to thank all my lenders. I’m asking God to give to everybody his best whish. I cannot forget ZIDISHA and the first American girl who introduce me in ZIDISHA. My business is going on and I’m so glad to receive this loan whish can permit me to get one place for my attieke work.
I started to build my cassava compound and I notice that people are surprise to see my evolution. Some come to ask me where I found the money for the job and I never stop to explain them something about Zidisha.
Oh good people who help the poor man to become rich, I’m coming to inform you that which help of the loan I put water in the place that I’m building for my business. In the pass we were taking water in the well but today by your grace I put the water in my small factory.
Yours sincerely SIAKA in BURKINA.

Samuel    Feb 26, 2014

Hi, Siaka. Am a VM in Kenya how is your business doing with the zidisha loan? Am on my third loan

Siaka    Dec 3, 2013

Hi! All zidisha.
In the middle of this night, I was thinking to my project and I found that it is better to me to get another project which can be create by my cassava transformation; because it better to have some benefices by the grace of this job. The first idea that I got is to build one compound for my small factory because it is a big problem for me to put away animals all the day when we are working cassava. Pig, cows, cheeps and donkeys like very well cassava. I will not make a big compound because of money. I want first to make free houses; the first will be for cassava collection, and cassava ground place, the second will be a kitchen and the last will be use to put attieke in sachet. And in from of all, I want to build one big shed. All will be surrounding by some wire fence. It is better to me to make this because some person decides to visit my factory and they find that it is in my house. Many of them ask me to get one place for only my cassava transformation.
For the creation of some job by the grace of my cassava transformation, I found that I can use my cassava residues to make local fertilizer during the raining season and at the dry season; I can use my residues to make animal food. One group of person not more than four can make the job according to the moment of the year. I noticed that cassava need local fertilizer to produce very well. If I get the opportunity to realize these jobs added to my transformation, I shall be happy cause nothing will not be lose; all will be transform.
Bye and see you later. God help everybody in his activities.

Siaka    Sep 12, 2013

Dear’s zidisha members
I can’t stop to thank you night and day. I’m so well with all of my family. As the name of your institution, I’m growing up day by day. The moto taxi makes my job to be very easy for me to transport cassava from the farm to my small factory and also to sell the attieke from the factory to my different customers in beregadougou, tarfila, bounouna, banfora and toussiana .Most of news customers are calling me in many area in Burkina.
I received two person last Thursday 29th of one project in Burkina because they hear that I’m making good attieke; and they want to know me better and hear from my mouth how I’m producing it and who is my helper? I tell them that I’m working with ZIDISHA. They were surprise to listen this name. I was too happy to give them information about ZIDISHA and tell them that I’m a volunteer of zidisha. In this cage I thank the family who introduce me in zidisha by the grace of their daughter who is the first Peace Corps volunteer in Takaledougou.
Dears ZIDISHA lenders! I’m thanking all people who give me money for my business and I’m asking them to don’t worry about the repayment. If I’m in good health with all of my family, to pay the loan is a small thing for me. My best wish today is to see one zidisha lender in my village only to know me better and know my small factory.
Yours for ever SIAKA in TAKALEDOUGOU

James    Jul 10, 2013

Hi all,
I recently had the great pleasure of visiting Siaka in his village Takaledougou. He was nice enough to put me up for the night in one of the local huts. He really is a fantastically nice and welcoming person, not to mention all the fantastic things that he continues to do as a volunteer mentor.

Siaka began showing off some of the items he has purchased with his Zidisha loans. With the first he acquired equipment to process manioc into attieke, a local dish. With the second, he purchased the 'taximoto' seen in his pictures below. His intentions were originally to use it to collect manioc and sell attieke in town. As it turns out, the 'taximoto' is in high demand and he frequently lends it out, for a fee, to other villagers.

Recently Siaka has expanded his manioc fields to ensure a year-round supply of manioc. He currently has 4 different types growing as he tries to find out which gives the greatest yield.

I asked why he didn't want to just focus on processing manioc, and I found his answer quite insightful. As he puts it, cultural forces at play mean that Siaka's main risk was losing his suppliers once he started to show a bit of success. He identified this early and began planting his fields.

A number of months later his predictions held true and suppliers began giving preference to foreign buyers. Without his foresight, Siaka would have surely seen his financial situation deteriorate. You must admire his use of experience and vertical integration in managing his business operations.

In terms of impact, the most obvious is effect is the literally gigantic (by local standards) newly built house in the picture below. Siaka is insistent that without the two loans he never would have had the income to build it.

Looking forward, Siaka tells me he is planning to go back to school to finish his education. From then on it really is hard to tell how far this man's talents will take him.

Siaka    Jun 24, 2013

How good and pleasant for me to give you this message! i'm feeling well with all of my family and my business is going so well. Everyday i say thank you ZIDIZHA and again thank you all lenders of ZIDISHA. Today I don't know what kind of words I can use to thank you. Thank you so much for your loan!

I want to tell you now that my life is changing. My attieke (local yuca based food) project has started to earn and I'm too busy now with my moto-taxi (small ute / truck). My program with the moto-taxi was to transport yuca and to sell my production but today everywhere in my area people need the moto-taxi to transport mangoes, corn, peanuts and people for weddings and different ceremonies in the next village. Sometimes I use it to transport people to town. The profitability of this vehicle is very, very, very, very good. This is why I don't know how to thank all may lenders. God bless you and grant you all your wishes. Thank you again for this loan and see you next time!
I'm too glad to receive Mr James Hastwell (Zidisha Client Relationship Intern) because his presence gives me much information about Zidisha and it is also an occasion for me to learn how to help other people in my village to apply for a Zidisha loan.

pentatonicscale    Apr 4, 2013

I'm glad this loan is helping you between harvest and planting. Here in Japan we have beautiful cherry blossoms.

Siaka    Apr 2, 2013

Hello all zidisha members! i'm so happy to received my second loan with you. How good and pleasant to me to get this money? i thank you night and day.I and my familly was very happy with this loan. i was facing to one problem with the money. This money was small in from of what i deced to do.But i find solution . I bought a new moto taxi which can help me to give my production to my customers. I stopped my attieke production because my kassava is finish and i hope i will start a new production in jun. But with the new engin i started to bringt fertiliser in my differents farm. i hope i will make a good production of kassava and attieke next year. thank you again for the loan.i will sent you some picture of the engin next time.