ABOUT 100 WOMEN SCAMMED THROUGH VILLAGE BANKING SCHEME BY A CHRISTIAN CELEBRITY
On My Table…Village Banking and Women
The last two weeks have been heart breaking for three of my female friends. All three saved more than One Hundred Thousand Kwacha in a Village Banking Savings initiative allegedly run by a young Christian couple whose wife apparently is a “big Christian celebrity brand” in Zambia.
My friends begged me to tell their story because their funds have disappeared and the Christian celebrity is throwing a pity party and claiming that she has lost more than Two Million Kwacha in investments………very sad. Well, here’s the full story below.
A Christian celebrity advertises a Village Banking Savings initiative, recruits 100 members and promises 8% return on savings plus a bonus on amounts above Fifty Thousand Kwacha. She claims that her brand is investing the funds in a Micro Finance organization and other Christian projects. Of the 100 women, the highest saving is One Million Kwacha from a group of 10 corporate executives. Mind you all these are women.
12 months later, the 100 women are eager to receive their savings plus interest. On 1 December 2022, the Christian celebrity informs the group via WhatsApp that share-out will take place on 16 December 2022. As the date approaches, she sends out another notice that share-out has been moved to 31 December 2022. Come 31 December 2022, everyone is told there is nothing to share-out because the investments were not profitable and the whole Five Million Kwacha saved has disappeared. The Christian celebrity now chooses to meet each member privately to offer them peanuts and awkward terms of repayments while pleading that this must be kept in the highest confidence because she worked so hard to build her brand. She also cries about her childhood. Really?
My friends are stuck. Children can’t go to school. Personal projects for the year 2023 have just gone down the drain. They are back at zero, no penny with mountains of bills to pay. I feel confused too! How did 100 women, top corporate executives, learned, highly exposed, entrepreneurs and strong Christians sign agreements with this Christian celebrity without knowing the name of the Micro Finance where their funds would be invested, how did they allow her to invest in Christian projects without fully understanding her business model? I am told one woman is owed Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Kwacha and another Three Hundred Thousand Kwacha. Just how?
By the way, the Christian celebrity claimed to have a Board of Directors for the Village Banking and flashed big names in the Pentecostal arena. Mostly Bishop’s wives. Today they are non-existent. She is now talking about handling another Village Banking group on behalf of a CEO in the banking sector.
Women, please listen up and listen straight, “Village Banking has rules of engagement and those rules must be followed to the later, never entrust your hard-earned money in the hands of one person because they are a celebrity, pretty, soft spoken, and seemingly live an honest life”.
Zambia is about to witness the biggest Village Banking scandal of her time, especially if the Christian celebrity doesn’t act fast and call upon some miracle money to rain in her account.
Village Banking and Women.
God&Abundance2023
J.S. Chishimba