“I’m an older woman. I have only one daughter. She had two children before marrying… So now I take care of my two grandchildren for her. The children are too young to help me. I was living at the mercy of my own poverty and sometimes received help from do-gooders, giving me a little assistance from time to time. Thanks to two loans this past year, I was able to implement some small projects and recently purchased a sheep… I will sell it for a profit after fattening it up.
Because of these S&L groups, we have created a sisterhood. We have sympathy for each other and assist each other. The experience has increased our social cohesion. We also help each other with marketing. When someone comes from a nearby area and asks for a water bucket, we will indicate who sells the water bucket. If someone asks who is selling an animal, one of the women in our group will point them in my direction, and so on. I no longer feel as rejected as I did, due my daughter’s problems. I have many friends that support and advise me now.”
Zeinaba, Mentor and S&L Member in Aouderas