Bako is a 24-year-old entrepreneur who lives in Ivory Coast’s Gnamazra village.
Bako has built up a small business selling airtime credit to various kiosks. His business enables him to support himself and to pay for his little sister’s education. He believes that educating young girls is really important. “One day they will be able to help me with my different businesses and support themselves,” he says.
On a typical day, Bako wakes up early, grateful for a new day and then immediately checks the various kiosk manager’s accounts to see if anyone has run out of credits. If they’re in need of credits, he’ll hop on his bike and go and visit them and check it to see if they need anything else .
Bako dreams of growing his business to employ over 100 people in five years time, but in order to grow, he needs access to credit. Only recently did he notice on his MTN mobile money menu that he was eligible for a loan. The timing was perfect. He had a kiosk manager asking him for credits but he didn’t have the means at the time.
“It really helped me that day, I just dialled *133# on my phone and followed the prompts to see how much I could qualify for,” he says. His first loan was a small amount but as he continues to borrow and repay more business credit, he’ll be able to grow his credit record and qualify for more.
“One day when I have the option to take a bigger loan, I’m going to buy some iron doors and finalise the construction of my store,” says Bako. He finds VitKash really beneficial because it’s readily available and easy to use. “It can help you grow your business or help you when you’re in need.
