James Chone on Advancing Financial Inclusion and Empowering Communities Through Microfinance

Mr. Chona, we'll start by looking at leadership with a human heart.

You have been at the helm of Microfinance Zambia for some time now, and your leadership has been recognized at national level.

Tell us, what grounds your leadership?

Thank you.

I actually like the theme in terms of actually looking at it from a humanity point of view.

I would say that the first step is recognizing humanity.

What is humanity? Humanity as a creation of God, created in God's image.

When you make that a starting point, you begin to look at serving and leadership not just as a title but also as a stewardship.

You start looking at humans they are created for a purpose and you have to strive to identify what is the purpose that the people i work with the customers i save and the general public what is the purpose and what is my purpose so i think real leadership begins by identifying that every person is created in the image of god and must be created as such and must be sorry treated as such thank you

I understand that your leadership is guided by the belief that every human being is created by God.

Tell us, is there an inner compass that continuously guides your leadership?

Yes, I look at two basic principles in leadership.

Wherever I've gone, I've always asked myself two questions, even on my first day.

The intent, I would like to leave this place better than I found it.

Secondly, how will I leave an impression on the people around me? Are they going to be better off after interacting with me? So those two are the basic foundations that have actually led my basic principles of leadership.

look at the environment and the institution because every kind of leadership is actually an entrusted and a delegated authority that you are given to look after that place so how am i going to live it what is the impact so instead of a title i will focus on impact what impact will i leave on the institution how what impression will i live with those that i've worked with

You are widely associated with numbers in the microfinance space.

From an ordinary perspective, how would you define microfinance? I

think that away from numbers, we have to look at it What difference does it make? So instead of me focusing at a customer coming to get a loan, just focusing for me to meet a target and just lend, I should actually look at it to say it's empowering and enriching.

Because it will be a story when you find that nurse or teacher in Kakuta who has built a house from a loan.

There's a small market trader who has upgraded her market store and now is trading into a proper shop.

There's a small SME out there on the copper belt who's able to access capital and raise capital to be able to do more supply.

And I think when you look at it to say microfinance as a transformation tool rather than just money and a loan, you'll be able to look at it from a better place in terms of how am I enriching people's lives and how is it improving people's lives.

Oh, thank you.

That creates a clearer perspective.