"Sometimes I can even afford fruit!"

While in the Sudanese town of Nimule during June, I visited and talked with the women who had received micro-loans from Mercy Beyond Borders.  Here is Vicky's story. She is living with AIDS:

I sell these tiny fish in the market stall. Before getting my loan from Mercy Beyond Borders, I sold only cooking oil. It was hard. Purchase at 65,000 Uganda Shillings (about $26) and sell, if lucky, at 90,000 Uganda Shillings (about $36). This was barely enough for normal living expenses. I never had any savings. Since the MBB loan I have been able to buy fish, groundnuts (peanuts) and beans. As you see here, these sell quickly.  My life has come up! My profit has tripled!  My day-to-day life is improving, truly. There is still more for me to do, of course, but already my diet has improved and my strength is good. Sometimes I can even afford fruit!  I have completely repaid the original loan with interest (12%).  I feel so good about that. If I had a chance for a second loan, I would build my own tukul (hut) and buy more provisions in Gulu and sell them in Juba.  As for the people in America who made the loan to me, I say to you: “I cannot express my joy. You have pulled me out of darkness. Now I live in the light.  I can never speak my thanks enough to you.”