Change a Girl's Life Through Microentrepreneurship

Chanceline is a determined single mother and an internally displaced person originating from Ekona. The ongoing Anglophone Crisis compelled her and her daughter to relocate to Buea. Before the crisis, Chanceline successfully operated a food business, alternating between cooking and cultivating food crops for household consumption. The devastating loss of her child's father and her only brother during this conflict profoundly affected her, leading to their departure from Ekona. For one year, a church provided her with shelter and support.

Upon her arrival in Buea, Chanceline sought to improve their circumstances by engaging in menial jobs to provide for herself and her daughter. The living situation was challenging, as they shared a cramped room with eleven other individuals. Nevertheless, she collaborated with a church sister to sell tomatoes, utilizing the modest profits to supplement their meals and improve their living conditions.

In 2020, during the monthly business coaching conducted by Reachout NGO, Chanceline was identified, trained, and awarded a startup grant of approximately $45 (30,000 FRS). Grateful for this opportunity, she established her own business and quickly developed a substantial customer base owing to her prior experience in hawking.

After six months of diligent effort, she successfully saved approximately $75 (50,000 FRS). She judiciously allocated these funds to rent a room in Muea for six months at a cost of approximately $7.50 (5,000 FRS). Chanceline's unwavering commitment to her business allowed her to secure a second-level grant, enabling her to expand her product offerings to include onions.

In November 2024, representatives from Reach Out visited the Muea market, where Chanceline's significant progress was evident, eliciting positive reactions from the social workers in attendance. She stated, "Thanks to the training I received from Reachout NGO, I have successfully rented a market space and increased my inventory. I now possess the skills to manage my business effectively. My growth can be attributed to my commitment to saving and my participation in a weekly njangi of approximately $15 (10,000 FRS), which has contributed to my capital. My hope has been restored. I do not intend to return to Ekona; my life has improved significantly since the crisis, and my daughter is now able to attend school."