mdenti    Nov 4, 2011

Today I made my way to the Parcelles neighborhood with another intern here to talk with Khadija about what she has been up to and how her loan with Zidisha has affected her. She kindly met us in front of a Sonatel store not far from her home. At first glance, Khadija might look like any other young woman making her way through the bustling streets of Dakar. But after a few minutes of chatting with her we were intrigued by her will and tenacity to succeed with her business and support her 13 year-old daughter.

BUSINESS
We caught Khadija right before leaving for her hometown of Zinguinchor for the upcoming Muslim holiday of Tabaski. She seemed eager for the holidays to pass, anticipating a boost in sales of Forever Living Products. Khadija expressed to us how hard it has been to sell her products during this time of year because of the festivities of Ramadan, Korité, the start of school, and finally Tabaski. Her sales were so low that she had fallen behind on her repayments in August and September. Fortunately, she is optimistic about getting back on track once Tabaski is over and her sales take a turn for the better (inch’ Allah!). She is also hoping that she can gain some sales this next week from a strong network of family and friends in Ziguinchor.

IMPACT OF LOAN
Khadija expressed much gratitude to Zidisha for how it has helped herself, her daughter, and her family. She had initially come to Dakar to find a job in the communications field but after struggling for some time she decided to take the initiative and start her own business. Her loan has enabled to her to become successful on her own. She tries to tell everyone she can about Zidisha and the benefits it has had on her life. “Everyone asks me, how is that possible? But it works! It is excellent.” Khadija told us.

FUTURE
Khadija hopes to take another larger loan out with Zidisha but wants to wait a little while after finishing her repayments. Instead of continuing to sell Forever Living products, she would like to sell something else. She is not completely sure yet but is thinking of buying products and clothing from Mali, which are extremely popular in the fashion scene here in Dakar.

During the entire meeting, I was inspired by Khadija’s honesty, purposefulness, and determination. She seems to have all the qualities needed to succeed as a young entrepreneur here in Dakar. After talking for about an hour, Khadija made sure we got to our taxi as we wished her Bon Voyage to Zinguinchor and much success in her business after Tabaski.

Kadidiatou    Jul 21, 2011

I am here again to talk to you about the advantages that I have had thanks to my Zidisha loan. This loan has really helped me to carry out an exciting activity, exciting because with selling products, I succeed in helping many people with their health, as well as with their well being and their beauty, and also am able to support myself. Thanks to the profits I earn, I manage to take care of my daughter and also help my family whenever I can. And I do not stop talking about Zidisha to my friends, one of them was a beneficiary and there are others who are interested. Long live Zidisha, because you are the best who help people who want to work without imposing conditions. One more time, I cannot thank you enough for all that you have done for me. Thanks to your generosity, I have left the cadre of the unemployed by leading an exciting activity that I love. Thank you Zidisha.

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Je suis là de nouveau pour vous parler des avantages que j'ai eu grâce à mon prêt de zidisha.Ce prêt m'a vraiment aidée à mener une activité passionnante,passionnante parce qu'avec la vente de produits je parviens à aider beaucoup de gens sur le plan santé mais aussi pour leur bien être et leur beauté,mais aussi de subvenir à mes besoins.Car grâce aux bénéfices que je gagne je parviens à prendre soin de ma fille mais aussi d'aider ma famille dès que je peux.Et je ne cesse de parler de Zidisha à mes amis,l'un d'entre eux a été bénéficiaire et il y a d'autres qui sont interressés.Vive Zidisha car vous êtes le meilleur qui aident aux gens qui veulent travailler sans leur poser de conditions.Encore une fois je ne vous remercierez assez pour tout ce que vous avez fait pour moi.Grâce à votre générosité je suis sorti du cadre des chomeurs en menant une activité passionnante que j'adore.
Merci Zidisha

Kadidiatou    Jan 15, 2011

Once again my infinite thanks to all of you. Thanks to the loan you have given me, I was able to realize my dream: to have my own business activity and use it to support my needs. I thank God because my business is going well at the moment, and I hope that it will continue this way in the future so that one day I can grow my business to an even larger scale. Truly, I can never thank you enough.

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Encore une fois merci infiniment à vous,grâce au prêt que vous m'avez donné j'ai pu réaliser mon rêve;c'est à dire mener une activité et pouvoir subvenir à mes besoins.Je rends grâce à dieu car pour le moment mon activité marche et je souhaite que ça ira de l'avant pour qu'un jour je puisse mener de plus grandes activités.Vraiment je ne vous remercierais jamais assez.

Kadidiatou    Nov 29, 2010

Thank you, I just received my check and would like to thank you all greatly. Because of your generosity and good will, I will finally be able to acheive my dream - starting a business. Once again, thank you so much.

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Merci,je viens de reçevoir mon chèque et je vous remercie infiniment.Grâce à votre bonté et votre générosité je vais enfin accomplir mon rêve,c'est à dire mon commerce car j'y tenais beaucoup.Encore une fois merci et à bientôt.

Kadidiatou    Nov 29, 2010

Thank you, I just received my check and would like to thank you all greatly. Because of your generosity and good will, I will finally be able to acheive my dream - starting a business. Once again, thank you so much.

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Merci,je viens de reçevoir mon chèque et je vous remercie infiniment.Grâce à votre bonté et votre générosité je vais enfin accomplir mon rêve,c'est à dire mon commerce car j'y tenais beaucoup.Encore une fois merci et à bientôt.

smonroe    Oct 22, 2010

Khadija grew up in Senegal’s southern region of the Casamance and moved to Dakar last year “ to see it for myself and find work”. Though certified as an office manager, Khadija was unable to find an office job in the capital. Unperturbed, Khadija is returning to what she does best, sales. “ Prior to my certificate in office management, I worked as a saleswoman in the Casamance for six years. I used to sell shoes, cloths, shirts - everything. Today, I want to start selling natural health products.”
Khadija hopes to sell Forever Living products, an American distributor of natural health creams, sprays and medecines. “ One of my friends sells Forever Living products, and his profits are incredible. Much better than most salaries as a secretary. Best of all, in sales, as oppose to working as a secretary, profits are based on effort”. In short, Khadija will use her Zidisha loan to purchase Forever Living products at a discount rate and then resell them to her clientele.
While waiting for her Zidisha funding, Khadija has already taken the initiative to scout out prospective clients. “ I’ve started with family and friends, but now I’m moving on to strangers. I’ve gotten a lot of positive responses from the elderly. Older people have a hard time dealing with Dakar’s stress and pollution. They are usually more willing to try and buy our products”. Khadija has also been attending sales workshops hosted by Forever Living.
When I asked about the transition from selling shoes in the Casamance to herbal medicines in Dakar, Khadji responded, “ sales are sales. I’m good at selling because I am relentless. Just ask my friends. I work and when I see a potential client, I talk, talk, talk, talk. By the end, you either want my product or you’re so tired of me, you’ll buy it anyways” she laughed.
Khadija’s future plans are still vague. “ Hopefully I’ll earn enough money to one day open my cosmetic shop in the Casamance. Senegalese women love to look beautiful and will go out of their way to buy lipstick or products that whiten their skin. The profits are there. You just need enough funding to open a store and import the goods ”. In the meantime, Khadji works to support her family. “ In Senegal, the eldest child is expected to lead by example. As the eldest in my family, I work hard so my siblings can also be motivated to succeed”.

smonroe    Oct 22, 2010

Hey, guys! My name is Steve and I am Zidisha’s Client Relationship Manager in Senegal.
While in Senegal, I will be meeting with Zidisha’s clients to understand their stories and help them connect with their lenders from across the globe.
Communication is fundamental to Zidisha’s microfinancing model. I’m here to facilitate dialogue between borrower and lender. I’ll be posting stories, photos and videos about our lenders to help bring their businesses and lives a little closer to you.
Please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected] and I’ll be more than willing to answer any questions, comments or suggestions.

Kadidiatou    Oct 11, 2010

I am 32 years old and the mother of a 12 year old girl, I am the one who pays for her education. I am the oldest child of a polygamous family of 23 children and my father is retired. As it is hard to find a reliable job, I want to start a new as a saleswoman, this is why this loan is important for me because I am the one who supports my family. I am therefore counting on your great generosity to help me take up this endeavor.

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Je suis agée de 32 ans et je suis mère d'une fille de 12 ans,et je suis celle qui paie sa scolarité.Je suis l'ainée d'une famille polygame de 23 enfants et mon père est à la retraite.Comme je peine vraiment à trouver du boulot je veux me relancer à nouveau dans le commerce,c'est pourquoi ce prêt est important pour moi car je suis un soutient de famille.Donc je compte sur votre grande génorisité pour que je puisse reprendre mes activités.