Once the relationship is established, clients who get in the habit of paying promptly will be visited monthly. Others will see their credit officer weekly, or oftener. While MEDA was a micro-credit pioneer, other agencies have caught the vision and become competitors. MEDA's loans start higher and in some cases can go up to several thousand dollars. Credit officers want the loans to be big enough to make a difference, but not too big.
Nothing is gained, they point out, in saddling people with payments that are beyond their reach.
Lugano Mwaijande, a cosmetics dealer, is one of those clients who wishes MEDA's introductory loan limits were higher. Still, she gives MEDA high marks for its efficient application procedures. It doesn't keep you waiting. Coming back for more Clients who prove themselves by repaying promptly are eligible for larger loans . One repeat client is Aisha Baisa, who runs a small convenience store in Dar es Salaam.