A simple invitation transforms mother-of-five into entrepreneurial success
Mamie, 46, has every reason to crack her big, beautiful smile. The mother-of-five has gone from having no money for school fees, to running two profitable businesses in the province on Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
It’s all thanks to the members of a community savings group, which has helped unleash her earning potential. Before joining the group, Mamie was heartbroken at not being able to send her children to school. She tried to earn money while her husband was unemployed, but it was never enough.
“I couldn't bear to see my children stay at home without going to school. I sacrificed everything to have something to feed my family. Sometimes I would go to the market gardeners to borrow their vegetables to sell and then pay them back after a few days. But despite all my efforts, I could not solve the problems of my house.”
and my children's situation also changed,' Mamie says.
Her life changed when another mother in her community of Kikimi invited her to join the savings group, introduced by World Vision. She says the initiative empowers members to increase their household income, acquire capital goods, and improve their living conditions by learning important financial management skills.
to include a women's clothing shop in addition to her food stall.
She diversified from vegetables into bread, cakes, and salted fish – but didn't stop there. She now has a second women’s clothing business and harbours expansion plans, after developing skills in saving and identifying business opportunities. Her income has climbed from 50,000 Congolese francs (FC) (~US$19) to 1,000,000FC (~US$375), and says the savings group is a ‘financial force’ in their community.
“Now I am a happy woman, because since I joined the savings group my children are healthy and they go to school. I don't worry about anything anymore since I am able to pay for their education and secure their future and I know how to stand on my own two feet. In the coming days, I want to expand my business . . . to enable the mothers of my community to dress well and then my children can study in great universities to become great people in our country.”