Rhoda was able to convince the board that she could do it, and she received a loan from the BTCA’s revolving loan fund. This means, as Rhoda pays the money back, another young person gets the chance to start up a business. Rhoda received £150 as a non-collateralized loan, which does not sound much, but made a huge difference in her life. She never had so much money in her hands at one time. She was able to buy a sewing machine, and pay rent for a little shop at the side of the road where her products are seen by more people. She bought some materials and fabrics and made some samples, so people could see the quality of her work. After she received the loan, she and the other loanees met on a weekly basis, as part of the differential mentorship approach. During these meetings they discussed the challenges they were facing, and how to overcome them. Staff also visited her in her shop to have a look how she is doing. Now, a year later, Rhoda has repaid the full loan, and says her life has changed a lot. She now has her own, decent income and feels much more independent.
The Be the Change cycle starts when a young person walks through the door of the Academy. After the successful pilot in Kenya, the Be the Change Academy project is now scaling up as an eco-friendly, sustainable solution to tackle youth unemployment globally.
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