Madam Fuku has worked in the market for ten years. Without her business she could not survive. When she became a widow two years ago, survival became even more of a struggle. But her business has improved since she joined the Trust Bank, and the loans she received enabled her to expand her business.

In the past Madam Fuku sold dried eel from a very small stall. When the eel became too costly, she switched to the more plentiful and affordable dried herring. Thanks to the Trust Bank loans, she now also sells a variety of other products, including cow skins that she soaks in water, and then cuts into pieces. Locals mix the skins with the fish and bits of meat to make a nourishing soup.

"The fund has helped me a lot," she said. "I use any profits I get to buy medicine when I am sick. Without money, if you get sick and your children don't have money to help you, you die."