Change a Girl's Life Through Microentrepreneurship

Eucharia is an internally displaced person (IDP) from Nso, a community in the Northwest Region of Cameroon. She is a single mother of two. When the Anglophone Crisis began, she was living in her village and working as a hairdresser to support her children. Life was going well, as she complemented her salon work with farming. Unfortunately, the crisis disrupted her life, forcing schools to close and slowing down her business. Fortunately, her sister, who lives in Mudeka, invited her and her children to come so they could continue their education.

 Upon arriving in Mudeka, Eucharia had no work and was living with her sister and children. She borrowed 30,000 FRS ($48.91) from her sister to start a small business selling pants and breastwear. During a community outreach event, she was identified, selected, trained, and provided with expansion capital. Eucharia has a keen interest in ladies' fashion shoes and underwear, and she established a shop in Mudeka Market where she sells pants and breastwear. With an initial capital of 57200 FRS ($95.02), she has been steadily growing her business. Over time, she expanded her product range to include various slippers for men, women, and children. However, the recent increase in the prices of goods has made it challenging for her to maintain the same purchasing power she had before. Despite these challenges, she remains optimistic about her business's future. With a second grant of 114000 FRS ($189.38), she plans to take her business to the next level. She has invested in seasonal slippers, which help her stay ahead of the competition and attract more customers to her store.

Thanks to her dedication and commitment to providing quality products, Eucharia is improving her business and establishing a strong presence in the market. After receiving the grant, she has become a better person. With training in SMART agriculture, she was able to rent four plots of farmland.

  With the support from Reach Out NGO, I have been able to open my salon, rent farmland to cultivate vegetables and cassava for sale, and send my children to school. I also rent a two-bedroom apartment for 10,000 FRS ($16.30) for me and my children. We now live comfortably, and I have no desire to return to the Northwest Region, as I have built a new life here. The constant monthly follow-ups from the social worker have been invaluable, as they address most of the business challenges I face. I am happy that I can now keep good business records. I am proud to say that we now enjoy three square meals a day. My current capital is 300,000 FRS ($489.13), with an average monthly profit of 50,000 FRS ($81.52). I always make sure to save, allowing me to have funds to reinvest in my business when times get tough.