Rita belonged to three banking groups, one in her neighborhood, the other at her workplace and finally one from church. She was chairperson in her church village group and also quite reliable there as she was the only working class while the other members were either marketeers or housewives and they all looked up to her. As she sat down looking at her phone and wondering whom to call for financial assistance, she asked herself how she got into this mess. As a civil servant, she would get paid between 20 and 23 and the money would be finished by 25th of that very month. Sometimes thoughts of someone doing juju with her money would cross her mind. As soon as her salary hit her account, the work village banking was due and she had to pay, this would leave her with nothing so she would wait for the money from the church group which she would keep to pay off what she was owing to the neighborhood group. It was a cycle hard to break. She had reached a point where the money she was borrowing from the group was to simply survive on and pay off the rest to the other groups.

Daniel looked at his pay slip and could not believe his take home on paper was K1200. His salary was around K9000 but due to the many micro loans, he was only taking home a K1200. In that amount, he still owed another micro lending institution and was required to go and pay a K250 physically as this could not be deducted from his salary since he had too many loans. He was also owing ba kaloba (loan shark) who kept on increasing the debt every month, so he was only paying off interest of K300 monthly and not knowing when he would clear the debt. This would leave him with K650 as final take home. His wife ran a small home tailoring business so she would supplement his income by buying relish and pamela (small mealie meal packs) daily. She did not understand how a well-respected government officer in that boma town could be failing to provide for his family financially. Indeed, “ing’anda bai kumbwa mitengo” she would always say. She was the envy of her friends in the small town and luckily, they were staying in an institutional house otherwise they would be out on the streets looking at what the husband was bringing home. Daniel was so tempted to doing gwagu at work (side illegal deals) to make ends meet.

There is a common misunderstanding that people find themselves in debt due to living excessive lifestyles. Anyone can find themselves in debt and this depends on the financial decisions made, because even rich people go bankrupt. Most adults with a debt problem have feelings of anxiety especially when they do not have support from friends or family. Worrying about debt affects one’s sleep and not having a good sleep affects one’s mood and energy levels. It also affects one’s relationship with friends and family as these will avoid you for constantly asking for money. And those with debt do not understand when family members or friends say they do not have money to give out.

Dealing with debt isn’t just a financial challenge as it has significant effects on mental health. We have read or might know of people who have committed suicide due to the pressures of debt. Debt pressure can also lead one into a depression when not handled with care and relationships are broken either with family or friends as trust is lost when you borrow from friends and fail to pay back.

Breaking free from debt is a long journey worth taking. Instead of focusing on the oldest or smallest debt to clear off first, its better to pay off the debt with the highest interest rate. Usually, kaloba has more interest rate so its better to avoid it at all costs or to clear if off first. Cut back on non-essentials, for example, downgrade your tv subscription to something cheap or cancel it entirely and ensure the children are in affordable schools. Taking your children to a government school in the years you are battling debt is okay and you explain to them why they have to change schools in ways they can understand. Changing our diet is another way of cutting costs, if it means buying buns from a bakery in a compound, then do it as it is much cheaper. Before buying or borrowing something, ask yourself if it’s necessary, is that thing a want or a need especially if your debt anxiety leads to impulse purchases.

Break your financial goals into smaller manageable tasks. Find stress relieving activities such brisk walking and exercises that can be done in the comfort of your home or yard as at this point, gym membership can be considered a luxury. Avoid joining family or friend’s wedding committees by simply politely informing them that you are in no position to make financial contributions. To my fellow women, there is no need to wear new outfits to every event we are invited to and sometimes, lets learn to turn down some of these invitations if we have to stress about the dress code when we are financially strained. And if you have even a tiny space in our yard, grow some vegetables such as kale (rape), Chinese cabbage or kalembula which is easy to grow to supplement our food. Vegetables can even be grown in sacks and this saves the stress of buying vegetables. While in the debt crisis, if fuel money is a problem, let us put aside our pride and use public transport. Pride is a huge setback to coming out of debt because we feel society will laugh at us, if the house you are renting becomes too expensive for you, find a cheaper house in an affordable area.

We are the ones who can help ourselves to come out of a debt crisis so we have to be strict with ourselves and stick to measures that can assist us. With time and persistence, it’s possible to be debt free. Reach out to family before you call the kaloba man (loan shark) and let’s learn to pay back our relatives and friends so that even when you call on them for help, they will assist knowing you pay back.

Seek help when in need, visit a counsellor near you!

About the author

Aka Monde, is a licensed Professional Counsellor who holds a Master of Science in Counselling from the University of Zambia. She believes in the adage “a problem shared, is a problem half solved.” Speak to your pastor, church elder, elderly family member or see a professional counsellor when in need.

Email: [email protected]