MORE than 150 women entrepreneurs in Luhembe village, Kilosa District, Morogoro Region, have received interest-free loans from Vodacom Foundation through the M-Pesa Women Empowerment Initiative (MWEI).

This is the first time the women in this village received the loans which ranged from 5,000/- to 100,000/-. More 9m/- worth of loans was granted, with the women pledging to use the loans to boost their businesses.

Commenting about the new development, Vodacom Foundation Manager, Ms Grace Lyon, said that MWEI project aims to uplift women entrepreneurs through M-Pesa, adding that since the kitty was launched in 2010, a total of 42 villages have benefited from the project.

In Morogoro Region, four villages have so far benefited from MWEI, among them Luhembe, Mkuyuni, Kimamba and Mkamba. "Women are the face of the family and supporting them is assisting the entire family also and the society at large," said Lyon, adding that, "I urge all those that have received loans to make good use of them in order to repay them in time and without any struggles."