SEO for Africa

Evan Carmichael ranks for thousands of keywords for his website, www.EvanCarmichael.com. He has used his knowledge of search engine optimization to help drive over 260,000 visitors per month to his website and has helped other Toronto entrepreneurs to do the same.

Repayment rates on microfinance portfolios generally exceed 92% within one year and it is not uncommon to have repayment rates as high as 97-99%. The aim is to support new entrepreneurs to get their businesses going, have them repay the loan interest-free, and then use the money again to support another budding entrepreneur. We want to encourage sustainable development through entrepreneurship and see SEO for Africa as being an important initiative to raise funds for African entrepreneurs. For more information on sustainable development and African entrepreneurship, visit our African Accounts section.

Elizabeth Abiebhode (Elizabeth's Store, Benin City, Nigeria)

"Being a LAPO member is not a mistake for me and my family. I have been with LAPO for 4 years as a leader of my union. I hope to improve my business and the standard of the living of my family through the US$ 250 loan I have requested," says Mrs. Elizabeth Abiebhode who is married with 4 children and lives in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. 52 years old, Elizabeth sells eggs in the open-air market.

Loan Use: To buy more eggs for resale.

Isokan Asoro (Isokan's Fashion House, Benin City, Nigeria)

Mrs. Isokan Asoro is a fashion designer. She sews and sells clothes to people in her community. She is a 37-year-old, married mother of two children. She is requesting a loan in the amount of US$ 475 to buy more tailoring materials for the expansion of her business. Isokan has been in this business since 2001 and has been a LAPO member for 4 years.

Loan Use: To buy more tailoring materials for her business.

Julie Omokhuaigbe (Julie's Store, Benin City, Nigeria)

Mrs. Julie Omokhuaigbe is 60 years old. She is from Benin City, married and has eight children. She sells provisions and drinks in her store. She hopes to get the loan of US$ 475 to improve her business by buying more drinks and provisions for resale. She has been working with LAPO since 2003 and has been in business for the past 12 years.

Loan Use: To buy provisions and drinks for sale.

Stella Ozemoje (Stella Provision Store, Benin City, Nigeria)

Mrs. Stella Ozemoje, who lives in a semi-urban area in Benin, is seeking a loan in the amount of $250 to help her improve her business. She is 39 years old and is a married mother of four children. She is a dedicated LAPO client who has 11 years of experience in her business.

Loan Use: To buy more provisions, bread and drinks.

Neima Sintia Virgili Mabota (Retail, Maputo, Mozambique)

Born in 1983 in Maputo, Neima Mabota has a degree in environmental law and worked for ISCTEM. She used her earned money to redecorate her room, sparking a passion for decorating. She started doing small jobs for friends, bringing her both income and experience. Through HLUVUKU she got a loan of 40,000 MT to buy articles for her business and rent a display space.

Loan Use: To buy decorating products for resale.

Miezan Elisabeth Alloumoua (Food Production/Sales, Treichville, Cote D'Ivoire)

Mrs. Alloumoua is a fresh vegetables seller in Treichville market in the southern area of the city of Abidjan. She was born in 1955. She has 23 years of experience and is very happy to have a career at the market. Her goal now is to develop her activities, so she joined AE&I a few months ago. She is the mother of 2 boys, who are both studying at the state university.

Loan Use: To purchase goods.

Mary Wairimu Kinuthia (Cafe, Nairobi, Kenya)

Mary Kinuthia is a 42 year old mother. For the past three years, she has made her living by operating a cafe. She has also employed 2 people as staff. The business has been successful because the demand for traditional food is high. She would like to expand her premises so that she can serve many more customers at once.

Loan Use: To purchase more seats, tables, utensils, and cooking ingredients.

Josephine Nyanchama Mutwere (Food Market, Nairobi, Kenya)

Josephine Mutwere is a 38 year old mother. She dropped out of grade 12 and five years ago opened a successful kale business. She wants to add to her stock of kales, and also introduce tomatoes and onions. She would also like to raise her stall up to a higher level to make her customers comfortable as they buy.

Loan Use: To purchase more vegetables, and pay for transport services and license fees.

Ines Jose Sevene (Lumber Sales, Xai-Xai, Mozambique)

Ines is married and lives with her husband and four children. She is in the business of selling lumber and has recently started raising and selling chickens. She would like to expand her lumber business by increasing inventory (for which she would need help with transportation costs as well). Ines also plans to buy more chicken feed with part of her loan.

Loan Use: To increase inventory and cover transportation costs.

Matenin Traore (Food Production/Sales, Abobo, Cote D'Ivoire)

Matenin Traore is a banana wholesaler in the market of Abobo, a populated suburb in the north of Abidjan. She is 41 years old and has been in this business for more than 10 years. Matenin has 3 children, all of whom go to school. She is the main resource provider for her family. She wants to purchase about 120 cartons of bananas to be delivered to restaurants in Abidjan.

Loan Use: To purchase bananas in bulk.

Assissataou Essou (Cosmetics Sales, Treichville, Cote D'Ivoire)

Assissatou Essou is a 51-year-old disabled woman. She works with her daughters in the Treichville market in the south of Abidjan. She is a widowed woman with 5 children. Her husband died some months ago, and she is now the sole resource provider for her family. Assissatou is a cosmetic products seller. She sells various fashion products and wants to replenish her store for the coming Christmas.

Loan Use: To purchase cosmetic products.

Amie Mansaray (General Store, Kabala, Sierra Leone)

Amie is 43 years old and married with 4 adopted children. She started her business by selling cookies. With her first loan, she added palm oil and spices to her business. Her subsequent loans enabled her to diversify, now selling clothes, plastic sandals and saucepans. Amie would like to increase her stock and begin to export to Guinea.

Loan Use: To purchase additional palm oil and spices for export.

Abieuwa Edosa (AB Variety Store, Benin City, Nigeria)

Mrs. Abieuwa Edosa is 45 years old, is married, and has four children. She lives in Benin City, where she sells drinks. She started this business in 1996. She is seeking the sum of $800 to enable her to buy more drinks to sell. She has been a LAPO member for eight years.

Loan Use: To buy more drinks to sell.

Stella Omoregie (Stella Bar, Benin City, Nigeria)

Mrs. Stella Omoregie is 58 years old, is married, and has four children. She lives in Benin City and she sells drinks. She spent four months learning her business and has five years of experience in the business. She is seeking the sum of $800 to enable her to buy more drinks to sell. She is a member of LAPO.

Loan Use: To buy more drinks for sale.

Janet Wangari Gakumo (Food Market, Mombasa, Kenya)

Janet Gakumo is a 43 year-old married woman. She lives with her unemployed daughter and the rest of the family in a relatively modest residence in Mombasa. For the past four years, she has run a stall at the food market selling in wholesale and retail to customers. She sells fruits and vegetables such as passion fruits as well as potatoes. Janet is requesting a loan of US $1,000 to enable her to buy more stock of vegetables and fruits.

Loan Use: To expand her business.

Sophia Wangari (Food Market, Mombasa, Kenya)

Sophia Wangari is 34 years old. She is the sole breadwinner and has two young children. She sells vegetables and dry cereals in the massive Kongowea market, alternating the two depending on the season and the prices set by the suppliers. She has been doing this business for the last five years and she has built up her customer base. Sophia is requesting a loan of US $1200 to purchase more rice in bulk from farmers.

Loan Use: To expand her rice-selling business.

Joyce Awekonimungu (General Store, Kampala, Uganda)

Joyce is a 33-year-old single mother. She operates a retail shop where she sells a variety of household commodities like sugar, salt, curry powder, maize flour, rice, sweets, and drinks. Joyce has been running this business for the last five years. It is her sole source of income and covers the rent and food for the family plus school fees for her daughter.

Loan Use: To purchase more stock.

Priscilla Aboringong (Animal Rearing, Bamenda, Cameroon)

Born in 1948, Pricilla is married and has eight children. After her husband got in a car accident, she decided to start a business. She became a member of GHAPE, where she was trained in business management, marketing techniques and credit discipline. Since then, she has invested and repaid all of her loans.

Loan Use: To pay for piglets, vaccines, seeds and staff.

Doris Adom (Clothing Sales, Kumasi, Ghana)

Doris is a proud mother and owner of a street-side clothing shop. She has had the business for 3 years, but the shop has been in the family for over 20 years. Doris attributes the success of the shop to the good relationships she maintains with her customers and the quality of her products. Lately, limited stock has forced her to turn away some customers. She wants to fix this by adding more selection to her clothes.

Loan Use: To increase and vary her stock.

Mercy Agyemang (Clothing Sales, Kumasi, Ghana)

Mercy is a charming 42-year-old mother of four. She owns a street-side shop, where she sells bed sheets, towels, children’s clothes, and underwear. She started the business 12 years ago, and her client base has steadily grown ever since. Mercy hopes to eventually move into an indoor shop in the middle of the central market. For now, she is saving money to increase her product selection.

Loan Use: To increase her stock for the Christmas season.

Karidja Ouattara (Clothing Sales, Adjamé-Forum, Cote D'Ivoire)

Ouattara Karidja is a 33 year old widow with 2 young children. She has a clothing sales store in Adjamé-Forum market in the north of the Abidjan district. She is ambitious and manages her activities well. She requested the loan to purchase women's fashion clothes in time for the end-of-year celebrations and festivities.

Loan Use: To purchase goods.

Laurentine Irie Lou (Food Market, Attecoube, Cote D'Ivoire)

Laurentine Irie Lou is a dynamic 32 year old woman. She has 3 children and lives in Attecoube, a populated suburb in North-West Abidjan. Laurentine sells grilled pork and beef in the Attecoube market. She has been in this business for more than 5 years. She covers a significant amount of her family's household expenses and the cost of her childens' education. Laurentine joined the AE&I microcredit program in July 2005.

Loan Use: To purchase cartons of pork.

Irene Gakii (Clothing Sales, Nairobi, Kenya)

Irene Gakii Kanuri is a 28-year-old mother of two young children. For two years, she has run a clothes stall inside Kongowea market. She began her own business after a brief stint working in the hotel industry where she acquired good customer relations skills. This has helped her to attract and maintain a wide client base.

Loan Use: For business expansion.

Grace Obanor (Soft Drinks, Benin City, Nigeria)

Mrs. Grace Obanor owns a restaurant, where she sells drinks and water. She is 63 years old and married with 6 children. She lives in Benin City in the Edo State of Nigeria. She needs $400 to buy more drinks to sell. She has been in business since 1972 and she has been recieving loans from LAPO for 4 years.

Loan Use: To buy more drinks and table water for sale.

Theresa Asoegwu (General Store, Benin City, Nigeria)

Mrs. Theresa Asogwu sells all kinds of bags and it has helped her support her family financially. Theresa is married with 5 children and she is 38 years old. She lives in Benin City, Edo State, and learned her business for 6 months and started her own in 1998. She has been a LAPO member for 4 years; she needs $400 for purchase of bags for sale.

Loan Use: To buy more bags for sale.

Sarah Akinpelu (Food Market, Lagos State, Nigeria)

Mrs. Sarah Akinpelu is 50 years old, married, with 5 children, and lives in Mushin, Lagos State, Nigeria. She sells earrings, powder, soup items, and provisions. She has been in business since 1982 and needs a loan of $400 to buy more earrings, powder, and provisions for sale.

Loan Use: To increase her stock for sale.

Fridah Kimani (Lucky Start Boutique, Mlolongo, Kenya)

Fridah Kimani is a 21-year old single woman from Mlolongo, Kenya. In 2005, with an initial capital of US $30 that she saved while working at a Nairobi shop, she teamed up with her cousin and rented a stall in Mlolongo. Together they share the rent and Fridah deals in teen and children’s wear while her cousin deals in shoes. With the holiday season approaching, they are expecting an increased demand.

Loan Use: To purchase more clothes for sale.

Stella Egharevaba (Clothing Sales, Benin City, Nigeria)

Stella Egharevaba is a 49-year-old married woman who has 7 children. She lives in Benin City, Edo State of Nigeria. Stella sells children's wear. This is a business she started in 2000. She is in need of $400 to enable her to buy more baby things and female wear for sale.

Loan Use: To buy more baby things and female wear for sale.

Rebecca Arthur (Food Market, Mankessim, Ghana)

Rebecca sells large quantities of eggs in a store near the busy Mankessim market. She started the store with $200 of her own money 13 years ago and now her profits are about $200 a week. Her goal now is to diversify her products, so she does not have to depend on the eggs. She would like to carry chicken feed, pillows, and chop boxes (used for street vendors to store food).

Loan Use: To buy eggs and egg containers.

Abena Badu (Home Products Sales, Mankessim, Ghana)

Abena, 45, lives in a half-built house with her husband and seven children. She uses cocoa pod, baking soda, and palm oil to make soap locally. She sells two main types of soap, Alata and Azuma blow. Abena has 23 years of experience making soap. Her soap is so popular, that every time she makes it, it sells out in about a week.

Loan Use: To buy oil, charcoal, baking powder, and cocoa pods.

Blaise Gnagnipone (Cereals, Lomé, Togo)

Born in 1979, Blaise Gnagnipone is single and is responsible for one person. President of his neighborhood, he is a tailor by profession. He has abandonned his principal activity and is launching a business selling wood coal and cereals. To do that he needs some business capital. That is why he is asking for a loan of $800 to increase his purchasing capacity and to better serve his clients.

Loan Use: To buy wood coal and cereals.

Boèvi Jacob Lawson (Cobbler, Lomé, Togo)

Boèvi Jacob Lawson is a 43 year-old married man, a father of two children, who also takes care of another person. With only a secondary education, he is learning the shoe-making trade in order to relieve his family's financial suffering. Through this project, he is asking for a loan of $600 which will enable him to build his workshop and purchase leather and other materials.

Loan Use: To build a workshop.

Idewu Isola (Butcher Shop, Yopougon, Cote D'Ivoire)

Idewu Isola is a 45-year-old man, married with 4 children. Isola has sold beef and kidney for 22 years. He needs to improve his business and become a supplier now that he has a lot of customers. He wants to be able to satisfy them all by selling beef directly from the slaughterhouse.

Loan Use: To puchase goods.

Hadija Said (Charcoal Sales, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania)

Hadija, age 40, is married with a 9-year-old boy. She also lives with her 80 year old mother, who she takes care of. She has a business selling charcoal near their home, which she began in March 2006. Each day, she sells charcoal from 6am to 6pm and she makes a monthly profit of about $70. She now requests a loan to rent a charcoal store in order to increase her business.

Loan Use: To rent a charcoal store.

Jeanine Missan (Food Production, Yopougon, Cote D'Ivoire)

Missan Jeanine lives with her common-law husband. She has one child. Jeanine sells eggs and chickens in Yopougon market, located in one of the biggest municipalities of Abidjan. The large population has helped her clientele increase on a regular basis. Jeanine is a requesting a loan of $1,125 so she can invest in her business and increase her income.

Loan Use: To purchase chickens.

Aubin Kacou (Tailoring, Yopougon, Cote D'Ivoire)

Kacou is a 32-year-old single man who has one child. He is a tailor, located in an area that is not easily accessible. Kacou needs another sewing machine that has more capabilities and to relocate to an area that is more customer-friendly.

Loan Use: To purchase sewing machines and relocate.

Aminata Cisse (Personal Product Sales, Yopougon, Cote D'Ivoire)

Aminata is a 23-year-old married woman. She did not have an opportunity to go to school, and she began selling bags when she was 7. She is requesting a loan of $725 so she can travel to neighboring countries (Ghana, Togo) and buy goods to sell. Improving her stock from these sources will increase her sales and profit margin.

Loan Use: To purchase more items to sell.

Siata Ouattara (Cobbler, Lomé, Togo)

Siata is a 28-year-old single mother of 3. Siata is a beautician who has been doing African hairstyles (plaits) for 10 years. Even though her location is not ideal, Siata has earned enough money to be independent and to send her children to school. She is requesting a loan of $775 so she can relocate and purchase the items she needs to expand her services.

Loan Use: To purchase goods and relocate.

Adzo Amedekanya (Clothing Sales, Kpalimé, Togo)

Mrs. Adzo Amedekanya is a 27-year-old married mother of two children, both of whom are in school. She has been in the clothing sales business for nearly five years. With this loan, Mrs. Amedekanya would like to expand her business in order to better meet her customers' needs.

Loan Use: To purchase of 4 bales of traditional cloth for resale.

Abra Ekoukpo (Cereals, Adéta, Togo)

Mrs. Abra Ekoukpo is a 38-year-old married mother of four children, three of whom are in school. She is in the cereals business. She helps pay the family's expenses with the profit she earns. With this loan, Mrs. Ekoukpo would like to expand her business while meeting the needs of her growing customer base.

Loan Use: To purchase 10 bags of corn, 5 bags of beans and 8 bags of millet and rent a storehouse.

Brahima Kone (Clothing Sales, Treichville, Cote D'Ivoire)

Brahima Kone is a 34-year-old married man. He has 3 children who all attend school. He used the money he saved from working on a port to start a business selling ladies' fashions and clothes 4 years ago. His wife sells boiled rice for breakfast every morning. Things are going on very well for him and he wants to increase his sales, but he lacks capital to meet his target. Kone is requesting a loan as additional capital to increase his stock.

Loan Use: To purchase goods.

Emmaus Kyungu (Beauty Salon, Mbeya, Tanzania)

31-year-old Emmaus Kyungu is married with three children. In 2005, Emmaus established a grocery business and, in 2006, a hair salon. Emmaus has already received and successfully repaid one loan from SELFINA and now requires a loan of $525 in order to purchase an additional stock of hair care products and wigs in bulk.

Loan Use: To purchase additional hair care products and wigs in bulk.

Agnes Londo (Clothing Sales, Agoe, Togo)

Mrs. Agnes Londo is married and a mother of four children. She is in the textile business .She is requesting a loan to buy more textiles and materials and to hire other women to sell. By doing so, she will be able to sell quickly, make a profit and be able to pay back her loan within 18 months.

Loan Use: To purchase clothes and materials to sell.