Dorcas Nduku is a small business owner in Wamunyu market, Machakos County who runs a general shop serving her local community. For years, she worked hard to sustain her business, but limited capital restricted her growth. On average, her daily sales stood at approximately KES 5,000 - just enough to keep the shop running, but not enough to significantly improve her household income.
Her journey with Mpanzi SACCO began in October 2022, when she accessed her first loan of KES 50,000. She used it to restock her shop and improve product availability. As her business began to grow, she continued accessing larger and more frequent loans: KES 80,000 (June 2023), KES 30,000 (July 2023), KES 10,000 (August 2023), KES 16,000 (November 2023), KES 160,000 (December 2024), KES 50,000 (March 2025), KES 80,000 (October 2025), KES 45,000 (February 2026), and KES 80,000 (April 2026). Each loan helped her maintain stock levels, diversify products and respond to growing customer demand.
“I joined Mpanzi SACCO in 2017 as a member to access their financial services. Later, I applied for a loan of KES 160,000, and with that support, I was able to restock my shop, diversify my products, and increase my inventory. I bought new stock that customers had been asking for, introduced items I couldn’t sell before and made sure my shelves were always full. The change was immediate as more customers came in, sales went up and I could finally run my shop the way I had always dreamed.” Dorcas narrates, “My daily sales increased from KES 5,000 to KES 15,000. That growth completely transformed my business and made it much easier to take care of my family.”
With increased cash flow, Dorcas was able to stabilize her operations, build customer loyalty, and plan for the future with confidence. More importantly, the growth of her shop directly improved her family’s well-being.
“My life has changed because of the support I received from Mpanzi SACCO and I want to thank them for the help they walked with me to help run my business. Today, I can pay school fees for my children without stress and take care of my household needs without so much struggle.” Dorcas says “With continued access to financing, my dream is to expand my shop into a larger wholesale business and continue improving the lives of my family.”
Dorcas’s story demonstrates the transformative role of accessible financial services in strengthening micro-enterprises. Through timely credit and responsible borrowing, she was able to move from subsistence-level trading to a thriving retail business that supports her family and contributes to the local economy in Wamunyu.