Change a Girl's Life Through Microentrepreneurship

Margarete, a mother of 4 is an Internally Displaced woman from Konye one of the most conflict-affected communities of the Meme Division in the South West region of Cameroon. “When the Anglophone Crisis began, our house was among the first houses to be burnt down in Konye in 2017”. With her home burnt down, Margarete and her family fled from one bush to the other between 2017 and 2018 up till 2019, when she moved to Kumba with her one-month-old baby alongside her 3 other children.  “Moving to Kumba primarily was for security reasons and the children’s Education”.

Alone in Kumba with her three children, Margarete has been working on people’s farms to be able to pay her rents and send her children to school. “My husband comes to Kumba once in a while and gives me a helping hand in farming. Since he has nothing doing in town, he prefers to go back to Konye and do daily jobs on people’s farms “. In 2020, her situation was made worst by a couple whom she knew back in Konye who after visiting abandoned their 2 children (girls aged 4 and 6 years old) in her care. Despite her meager means, Margarate was able to register the children in school alongside her own children. “I struggle with them all and it has not been easy to feed or clothe them”  

Touched by her resilience and generosity, Reach Out in August 2021 included Margarete in our Poverty Graduation Program. She was given capacity-building training on entrepreneurship, bookkeeping, saving, and sexual reproductive Health Rights after which a conditional cash transfer of $60 (30,000 XAF was given to her to expand her business.  With knowledge from the capacity-building sessions, she was able to the sales of underwears to her primary source of income which is the sales of farm produce such as processed cassava and vegetables.  “The business is helping me so much in supporting my children’s health, food, and many other things. I can’t afford to take my business for granted,” said Margarete. She is very consistent, committed, and keeps a good record of her business. Her business is steadily growing and she now has an estimated capital of about $150 (75,000 XAF).  She equally has a poultry farm with about 35 table birds and her plan is to expand the poultry farm when she benefits from a second business grant from Reach Out.  Our project caseworker provides monthly supportive supervision to Margarete and she is expected to be provided the second grand of $100 (50 000 XAF) by the end of March 2022.

Margarete extends her deepest gratitude to the GlobalGiving Community and donors for making her financially stable and putting back a smile on her face.  “I am most especially thankful for the fact that I am able to support my household and provide for my kids thereby saving my husband from some stress through overthinking and frustration”.

We join Margarete in thanking our donors for their generous donations.