If you’ve ever run a business, you’ll know that it’s hard to raise money. In East Africa, it’s even harder. Sometime small businesses, often just one person, need very small amounts of money.

The Revolving Funds [RFs] we support - otherwise known as microfinance projects - help people to start a small business or expand an existing one with amounts as low as £50. Most loans are around £100-120 and are repaid within 6-9 months.

In Arusha, in northern Tanzania, we helped start a project that has benefited 20 people, with a grant of just £1000.

In Kisumu, in Kenya, we helped start a similar project with £2000. Violence after the disputed Kenyan presidential elections caused a lot of harm to the local economy and we were able to help them restart the project as part of the emergency relief we sent to them in February 2008.