Women Enterprise Solutions (WESO) Ltd is a non-deposit taking micro finance institution (MFI) that was formed after the realization that the way to mitigate the challenges faced by the Kenyan woman in every facet of her life is to empower her economically. The focus of WESO is to develop and provide innovative, affordable, accessible and pro-poor credit and other business development services to women who would want to start and/or grow their businesses, while maintaining a profitable institution operating on sound business principles. This is geared towards transformation of women lives to a life of affluence, influence, purpose, and dignity.
WESO provides the following loans to its clients:
Business (Inuka) loan – Targets women who are organized in groups and are running viable enterprises that need working and growth capital. It is also given to WESO members to enable them acquire assets needed by their businesses. This includes business and farm equipment, purchase of seeds and other farm inputs, purchase of livestock, motor cycles for income generation etc.
Business Emergency (Dharura) loan – Given to WESO members to meet a business emergency such as servicing an urgent order.
Self Help/Investment Group (Chama) loan – This is a group loan advanced to registered and operational self-help groups and investment clubs to help finance their income generating projects.
Development (Maendeleo) Loan – Given to WESO members to enable them pay school fees for themselves or their children, meet their energy needs such as buying solar equipment and appliances, to connect to the electricity grid for domestic or commercial use or to install bio-digesters for the cooking and lighting needs, access clean water through buying water tanks, water pumps, water pipes, dig wells or to enable WESO members afford household items such as fridges, cookers, micro-wave ovens, stoves, utensils etc.
Individual (Imara) loan – This loan targets individual women members who have graduated from the group methodology and new members with established businesses.
To qualify for the loans:
• One must be 18 years and above
• Be running a viable business or be willing start a business of her dreams
• Be willing to be a member of a registered group of between 5-10 persons and a larger solidarity group of between 20-40 persons
• Be willing to attend meetings and cooperate in all the affairs of the groups she is affiliated to