Awa

Dakar, Senegal

100% repaid

Entrepreneur

Name

Awa

Member since

October 2009

On-time repayments

10 installments  •  80%

About Me

I attended school up until the sixth grade, then I quit in order to support my impoverished family. Since I left school, I have specialized in the sale of small groceries and juices made from local fruits which I prepare myself, as I completed vocational training in this at the young women’s social center in my village. With this I support a very large family. I also completed vocational training in sewing.
What I believe is that everyone should be able to work hard for a living, rather than live from charity. Work should not be reserved only for men, but rather for anyone who wants to succeed in their society. This is why as a young woman, I didn’t allow my fate to be determined by circumstances – I took charge of my life. (this is a translation of the original French written by Ms. Seck below)
J’ai fait l’école primaire jusqu’à la sixième année. En suite je me suis arrêtée pour soutenir ma famille qui vit au seuil de la pauvreté. Depuis que j’ai quitté l’école, je me suis spécialisée sur la vente de produits de cuisine ( épicerie) et vente de jus de fruits locaux que je fabrique moi-même, car j’ai suivi une formation dans ce sens au centre social pour jeunes filles de mon village. Je suis soutiens d’une famille très nombreuse.
Ensuite j’ai fait une formation professionnelle dans le métier de la couture.
Ce que je crois est que chaque personne doit pouvoir travailler durement pour gagner sa vie au lieu de tendre la main. Le travail ne doit pas être réservé seulement aux hommes, mais à toute personne qui souhaite réussir dans la société.
C’est pour cela, qu’en tant que jeune fille, je ne me suis pas laissée aller mais j’ai plutôt réagit.

My Business

I attended school up until the sixth grade, then I quit in order to support my impoverished family. Since I left school, I have specialized in the sale of small groceries and juices made from local fruits which I prepare myself, as I completed vocational training in this at the young women’s social center in my village. With this I support a very large family. I also completed vocational training in sewing.
What I believe is that everyone should be able to work hard for a living, rather than live from charity. Work should not be reserved only for men, but rather for anyone who wants to succeed in their society. This is why as a young woman, I didn’t allow my fate to be determined by circumstances – I took charge of my life.
Ever since I opened my little spice shop, I’ve never stopped growing the business, even adding a big refrigerator which allows me to chill the drinks that I make from local fruits. My work consists of retail sales of consumables that I purchase from wholesalers in the city. And because of my reliability and the quality of my product selections, the women come to my shop to stock up on culinary ingredients and local fruit juices. (This is a translation of the original French written by Ms. Seck below.)
J’ai fait l’école primaire jusqu’à la sixième année. En suite je me suis arrêtée pour soutenir ma famille qui vit au seuil de la pauvreté. Depuis que j’ai quitté l’école, je me suis spécialisée sur la vente de produits de cuisine ( épicerie) et vente de jus de fruits locaux que je fabrique moi-même, car j’ai suivi une formation dans ce sens au centre social pour jeunes filles de mon village. Je suis soutiens d’une famille très nombreuse.
Ensuite j’ai fait une formation professionnelle dans le métier de la couture.
Ce que je crois est que chaque personne doit pouvoir travailler durement pour gagner sa vie au lieu de tendre la main. Le travail ne doit pas être réservé seulement aux hommes, mais à toute personne qui souhaite réussir dans la société.
C’est pour cela, qu’en tant que jeune fille, je ne me suis pas laissée aller mais j’ai plutôt réagit.

Depuis que j’ai créé ma petite boutique de vente d’épices, je n’ai cessé de la faire grandir en y introduisant un grand congélateur qui me sert à rafraîchir la boisson que j’obtiens grâce à la transformation de produits locaux.
Donc mon travail consiste à la vente au détail des produits de consommation que j’achète chez les grossistes de la ville ;
Donc pour cause de mon sérieux dans le travail et de la qualité de choix de mes produits, les femmes viennent s’approvisionner chez moi en denrées culinaires et en jus de fruits locaux.

Loan Proposal

Ever since I opened my little spice shop, I’ve never stopped growing the business, even adding a big refrigerator which allows me to chill the drinks that I make from local fruits. The loan will allow me to buy a stock of fruits and vegetables which I will use to make juices and preserves for retail sale. In my line of work it is important to buy raw materials in sufficient quantity to establish a reliable inventory, because there are often times when fruits and vegetables are difficult or impossible to obtain, or become much too expensive on the market. (this is a translation of the original French written by Ms. Seck below)<p/>
Depuis que j’ai créé ma petite boutique de vente d’épices, je n’ai cessé de la faire grandir en y introduisant un grand congélateur qui me sert à rafraîchir la boisson que j’obtiens grâce à la transformation de produits locaux.Le prêt va me server à acheter des produits de première nécessité (fruits et légumes) que je vais transformer en conserve pour ensuite les revendre. L’achat en quantité suffisante de produits de première nécessité pour constituer un stock est important dans le travail que je pratique, car il ya des moments de rupture où trouver des fruits et légumes s’avère difficile, voir impossible ou beaucoup trop cher.

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Loan Info

Project Type

Classic Loan

Disbursed amount

$223.00

Date disbursed

Feb 5, 2010

Repayment status

On Time

Projected term

10 months

Lenders

Julia Kurnia

Sterling, Virginia, United States

rebecca

Chapin SC, United States

melliecarma

Portus Town, Germany

joerg

Berlin, Germany

S

Stefan

Uppsala, Sweden

Ask Awa a question about this project, share news and photos of your own, or send a simple note of thanks or inspiration.

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  • Awa    Nov 5, 2010

    Hello, it's Awa Seck. I am writing to you because I am having payment problems for the month of November, it's because of my teeth. I have a tooth problem, it costs 25000 cfa (50 dollars) to cap it. I dont have enough money to cap it, so I'm buying medication to ease it. I will make my repayment on the 17th of November, this is why my payment is late, but I will repay by the 17th at the latest.
    Otherwise my business isn't doing as well because there are less kids to buy my drinks or ice cream because they are all in school, but I sell a bit of ice cream in the evening. During the summer holidays I sell more because children aren't in school.
    Medecine in Senegal is expensive which is way this payment will be late. All will be back in order on November 17th and the payment after that will be on December 4th. Thank you

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    • Stefan    Nov 22, 2010

      Don't worry about the one late repayment. I hope you can get your tooth seen to. Maybe there is something you can sell that is in demand during the colder months to complement your business?

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  • Awa    Oct 3, 2010

    Hello lenders,
    In Senegal it's still summer and it's very hot! We are selling lots of fruits juices - Bissap, Guitakh, Bueye (See Ndeye Marie Traore's profile for detailed definitions of each). So my business is doing well. Thanks

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  • Awa    Aug 31, 2010

    Dear lenders,
    I was wondering if I could repay on the 17th of September. I will use the delay to buy and resell candies for the Korite festival. Korite is an Islamic holiday (expected on the 11th of September) at the end of Ramadan where children buy candies. I also want to sell ice cream to the children. I will pay the 17th at 8 in the morning.

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    • IJAZBOF    Sep 16, 2010

      I wish you success!

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    • IJAZBOF    Sep 16, 2010

      How has the loan helped you. Has your quality of life improved as a result of the loan?
      ---
      Comment a le prêt vous a aidé. Votre qualité de vie s'est-elle améliorée en raison du prêt ?

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      • Awa    Oct 3, 2010

        Hello IJAZBOF,
        This loan has helped me becaues now I can sell even more bouye (a sweet Senegalese drink made from Pain de Singe, literally monkey bread, the seeds of boabab trees) and earn more money.

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  • smonroe    Aug 26, 2010

    Finally, the remainder of Awa’s loan was spent on a canopy to shade her stand, a necessity when working long hours in Senegal’s uncompromising heat. Below, a picture of Awa’s stand and canopy.

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  • smonroe    Aug 26, 2010

    Thanks to her lenders, Awa also bought three coolers. Awa uses these coolers to carry her products across the neighborhood and find new customers

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  • smonroe    Aug 26, 2010

    Bottles consume a large portion of Awa’s budget. Awa cuts costs by selling her fruit juices in recycled bottles. Her older brother collects discarded plastic bottles, and after thorough sanitization, resells them to his sister. As a result, Awas’s fruit juices are often stored in plastic Coke-Cola and Fanta bottles.

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  • smonroe    Aug 26, 2010

    Awa used part of her loan to buy a water filter and start selling purified water. Though Dakar’s tap water is widely consumed, its potability and long-term health effects are widely contested. Those with the means drink bottled water. Recently, USAID has sponsored a campaign to use Aquatab pills purify tap water (Zidisha client Aida Sowe’s son is the baby in the poster). By selling purified water in recycled bottles, Awa’s business provides healthier water at lower prices.

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  • smonroe    Aug 26, 2010

    Yesterday Awa Seck invited me to her stand to show me how Zidisha’s loan directly benefited her business. Eight months ago, Awa used most of her loan to purchase ice, sugar, hibiscus, ginger and other ingredients to expand her juice business. Today, she proudly notes that despite the reoccurring power outages, she still sold enough juice to have depleted most of her Zidisha funded commodities. The following photos and comments are of the more tangible, long-term investments Awa made with her loan. Below, Awa’s three best selling products – bissap, water and ginger (See Ndeye Marie Traore’s profile for more details on the various Senegalese juices).

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  • Awa    May 4, 2010

    Bonjour Chers amis,
    Depuis que j'ai reçu le prêt de Zidisha, je n'ai pas eu l'occasion de publier un commentaire à cause de la difficulté que j'avais à accéder au site. Mais maintenant j'ai tout compris et je m'excuse de ce fait. A vrai dire, je suis très satisfaite d'avoir reçu un prêt qui m'a permis de pouvoir travailler convenablement, en achetant un stock très important de marchandises (vente d'épices). Cela m'a surtout permis de mieux avoir une clientèle fidèle qui ne va plus ailleurs pour chercher ce qu'elles veulent, comme ce fut le cas auparavant. Maintenant cela va faire trois versement que je vais effectuer et je ne sens pas la difficulté de le faire, car mes affaires marchent très bien. Je souhaite vivement que je termine ce premier prêt pour pouvoir bénéficier d'un autre plus consistant qui va me permettre d'ouvrir une petite épicerie plus grande et plus performante.
    Je remercie donc les prêteurs qui ont fait confiance à des gens comme nous et leur encourage à continuer dans ce sens. pour aujourd'hui je ne publie pas de photos car je ne sais pas encore comment ça se fait. mais je vais m'approcher de Bouba pour apprendre. la prochaine fois, je vais envoyer des images.

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    • Julia Kurnia    May 4, 2010

      Hello Dear friends, I had not been able to post a comment since I received the Zidisha loan, because of some trouble I had with accessing the website. But now I have figured it out and would like to apologize for that. In all honesty, I am very happy to have received this loan which has allowed me to work comfortably, by purchasing a very large stock of merchandise for my spice sales. That has especially made a difference by allowing me to create a base of loyal customers who no longer have to go elsewhere to buy what they need, as had been the case previously. Now I am just about to make my third repayment installment, and I don’t feel any difficulty in making the payments because my business is doing very well. I am ardently looking forward to finishing this first loan, because I hope to benefit from another loan which will allow me to open a spice shop that is even larger and more successful. So I thank you lenders, who have put your confidence in people like us and encouraged us to keep moving forward. For today, I am not posting photos because I don’t yet know how to do it. But I plan to ask Bouba [the director of SEM, a local microfinance organization which verified Mme Seck’s credit history] so that I can learn. Next time, I am going to send pictures.
      <p/>
      (this is a translation of the below message, posted today by Mme Seck in Senegal)
      <p/>
      Bonjour Chers amis, Depuis que j\'ai reçu le prêt de Zidisha, je n\'ai pas eu l\'occasion de publier un commentaire à cause de la difficulté que j\'avais à accéder au site. Mais maintenant j\'ai tout compris et je m\'excuse de ce fait. A vrai dire, je suis très satisfaite d\'avoir reçu un prêt qui m\'a permis de pouvoir travailler convenablement, en achetant un stock très important de marchandises (vente d\'épices). Cela m\'a surtout permis de mieux avoir une clientèle fidèle qui ne va plus ailleurs pour chercher ce qu\'elles veulent, comme ce fut le cas auparavant. Maintenant cela va faire trois versement que je vais effectuer et je ne sens pas la difficulté de le faire, car mes affaires marchent très bien. Je souhaite vivement que je termine ce premier prêt pour pouvoir bénéficier d\'un autre plus consistant qui va me permettre d\'ouvrir une petite épicerie plus grande et plus performante. Je remercie donc les prêteurs qui ont fait confiance à des gens comme nous et leur encourage à continuer dans ce sens. pour aujourd\'hui je ne publie pas de photos car je ne sais pas encore comment ça se fait. mais je vais m\'approcher de Bouba pour apprendre. la prochaine fois, je vais envoyer des images.

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  • Admin    Jan 30, 2010

    Dear all,

    Please note that this loan application will expire on February 4 at 10 PM Eastern Standard Time, unless the applicant elects to accept current bids and close the application before its scheduled expiration. Best regards,

    Julia Kurnia
    Director, www.zidisha.org

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  • Julia Kurnia    Jan 30, 2010

    Dear Mme Seck, <br>Congratulations! What kinds of fruits and vegetables will you buy with the loan? Best of luck,<br>Julia<br><br>
    Bonjour Mme Seck, <br>Je vous félicite sur le financement de votre prêt! Vous allez acheter quels types de fruits et légumes? Bonne chance et bon courage,<br>Julia

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  • Awa    Jan 28, 2010

    Hello friends,<br>
    I am very happy to see that my business is of interest to people who are on the other side of the world. I had never thought that could be possible, until I heard about Zidisha and the possibility of finding a loan thanks to people who live in other parts of the world. Now I am encouraged to find that there are people who have begun to support me. I would like to thank all these people for their confidence, especially Susan and Joerq who have already entrusted their funds to help me in my efforts to earn a good honest living. Now I call on all the well-meaning members of Zidisha to kindly support people like me, so that we can avoid falling into extreme poverty which leads to all kinds of hardship and wrong. Next time I will post some photos of my business activities. <br>
    Awa Seck (translated from the original French below)<br><br>
    Bonjour les ami(e)s.<br>
    Je suis très contente de voir que mon busness intéresse des personnes qui sont à l\'autre bout du monde, Je ne croyais pas que cela soit possible, jusqu\'à ce que j\'ai entendu parler de Zidisha et des possibilités de trouver un prêt grâce à des gens qui vivent ailleurs dans le monde.<br>
    Maintenant, je suis confiante depuis que j\'ai vu qu\'il y des personnes qui ont commencé à me soutenir. Je remercie toutes ces personnes pour leur confiance surtout Susan et Joerq qui on déja mis leur argent pour m\'aider à faire un travail honnête.<br>
    Maintenant j\'en appelle à tous les bénévoles de Zidisha de bien vouloir soutenir des gens comme moi, afin de ne pas nous laisser tomber dans la misère qui conduit à toutes les dérives et les vices.La prochaine fois je vais poster des photos de mes activité<br>
    Awa Seck

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  • Admin    Oct 21, 2009

    200,000 CFA (approximately $465) loan from local mutual PAMECAS, which Ms. Seck recently finished repaying per the confirmation of local partner SEM microfinance institution (www.sem-fund.org).

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