Aid Projects

Happy Pants empowered Felecite from Rwanda, a 50 year old entrepreneur. She is married and has 8 children between the ages of 3 and 26 years old. She has been a rice farmer for 8 years. She needed a loan to help pay for her labor costs. She plans to use the profits to pay school fees for the children and to pay for medical insurance.

The agriculture sector accounts for 37% of Rwanda's gross domestic product, generates 65% of Rwanda's export revenue, and employs approximately 90% of Rwandans (as of 2009).

Despite the importance of agriculture to Rwandans and their economy, financial institutions view lending to fund agricultural activities as a high-risk proposition because the profitability of these activities is affected by weather, natural disasters, and price fluctuations. For this reason, farmers in Rwanda remain underserved by financial institutions. 

Happy Pants helped Cesar with his farming business. Cesar is a father who raises his family in a rural community. He owns and operates 3 hectares of rice field in their village. He is now 52 years old and has three school-age children. He aimed to improve his rice farming business to increase his yields and income and to satisfy his family's needs and support the education of his children.

Due to the high cost of commodities and school fees, Cesar needs to increase his income to meet his family needs. He planned to expand his rice plantation to ensure higher production, but due to inadequate capital, Cesar got some help as a micro loan from Happy Pants to buy fertilizer and pesticides needed for his rice farming business. He believes that his patience and strong determination will enable him to improve his farming business and he hopes that he will have a plentiful harvest.

Gration works for Watu na Nuru, a Barefoot Power retailer in Tanzania. He began working for the Diocese of Lweru in 2012 as Development Officer and have recently had the opportunity to begin a solar lighting retail business, working with his colleague from Switzerland, Daeni (on the left in the picture). They are launching an exciting new project where he can use his previous development project experience to build up a business. Happy Pants proudly helped Gration from Tanzania with his Business ventures through a Kiva micro loan. The current electricity supply does not reach every part of the country; this is especially true for rural areas. Solar lights prevent people from using kerosene lights, which are dangerous and very unhealthy. The main impacts of using solar lighting are that people save money by not using kerosene, charging their phones, and keeping their shops open in the evening; students and pupils are able to study more in the evening; and people reduce damage to their lungs and reduce the risk of burning themselves and their houses. The distribution of Barefoot Power products will benefit the community and Tanzanians as a whole by giving a reliable and sustainable source of light and, by providing this light source, helping to fight the three national enemies, which are limited education, disease, and poverty. He plans to distribute Barefoot Power products to micro-entrepreneurs and small businesses who want to sell them in villages and also train new staff and provide employment locally as the business grows.Watu na Nuru, which means “Light for the People” in Swahili, is the name of a growing collection of businesses established with the support of the Anglican Church of Tanzania, with the aim of making high-quality, affordable solar lighting kits available to rural communities.

Watu na Nuru needs to have sufficient quantities of the right products at the best time of year, which in this area is when the coffee harvest is in. They have developed a partnership with Barefoot Power Australia, who make what they believe are the best micro-solar systems on the market. Happy Pants loan supports their stock so that more village entrepreneurs can sell these lighting solutions. 

For more than twenty years, Henrik has worked repairing and manufacturing footwear in Kapan. Happy Pants has helped Henrik with his small shop and workshop for his cobbler business. He has his own tools and materials, and Henrik gets the shoe forms in Yerevan. He buys raw materials twice a month. Henrik takes orders for shoe repairs, and also makes shoes special order. Many residents of the city of Kapan use Henrik's services. Henrik works six days a week until late at night, unlike other shoe repair shops.

Henrik is 55 years old, and he was born in the town of Kapan. After graduation, Henrik studied civil engineering. Henrik is married and has two children: a son and a daughter. Henrik's wife is a housewife, and his daughter is married and living on her own. Henrik's son helps his father in the workshop. Thanks to the business Henrik can support his family. Happy Pants helped Henrik with a kiva loan that helped him buy soles, leather, glue, and other necessary materials for his business.

Mrs. Rosa is 51 years old, she has a small, economical kitchen in her neighborhood. Happy Pants has proudly supported her business through a Kiva loan. Mrs. Rosa rises daily and buys supplies, such as fresh beans, in the supply center of the community. She buys the drinks from a supplier that comes twice a week. At eight in the morning she begins to cook her stews in order to sell lunches. She says that she likes her work a lot as she gets to know people from all parts of the country that pass by her shop on their travels. Mrs. Rosa received a loan from Happy Pants in order to buy the ingredients that she uses the most in the preparation of her food such as beef, chicken, pork and vegetables such as lettuce, carrots, tomatillos, green tomatoes, chiles, onions, etc. 

Tomasa is a single mother with two children. She is the coordinator of her group El Samaritano ("The Samaritan"). Her group is located in the rural area surrounding Hato Mayor, an agricultural area. She makes her home there in a simple house with her two children. She says that her most difficult challenge is to raise her children alone, working and taking care of them. In the meantime, she enjoys doing business.

Tomasa needed to buy underwear, which she sells in her house and by walking in her community and others nearby. Happy Pants empowered Tomasa with a Kiva Loan so that She can sell to clients and to other sellers. She is planning in a short term to have a bigger inventory and to wholesale more quantities. Tomasa and her group are thankful for Happy Pants support!

Jairo a 22 year old entrepreneur is a welder. Happy Pants helped his business venture with a kiva loan to buy a welding machine.

His dream is to be able to buy a motorcycle. In his free time he likes to play 'indor.' He says that he is very thankful for this help that is being offered to him.