Songhai Women's Capital Fund #3

 Rebecca Madjro

                                                                                                                                                             

Rebecca graduated from Songhai in December 2011 and already has her small rabbit business up and running. She has 6 breeding rabbits right now, and one of the females just gave birth to 6 new babies! The first time Rebecca laid her eyes on a rabbit was during her training at Songhai. Since that day her professional goal was to start raising rabbits not only for her own profit, but to provide protein to people in her community. 

With the Eliminate Poverty Now loan, not only can she expand her small rabbit husbandry business, but she is also able to start a market garden to replicate the integrated system of agriculture that Songhai promotes. 

 

Rebecca wants to take the integrated system of production that Songhai teaches and turn it into a reality.  The photo to the left is the area inside of Rebecca’s concession where she plans to start her urban garden. Since Rebecca lives in Cotonou, the capital, this sets a great example for others to grow their own nutritious food right in their own homes. Rebecca also plans to have a larger garden outside of Cotonou for a greater production of vegetables. 

Rebecca is extremely excited to expand her business.

"Through my training at Songhai I saw the relationship between agriculture and animal husbandry. I saw how they re-enforced each other and thought that is an easy, good way to decrease poverty. I want to do that."

Here is the video of Rebecca telling her story from our Songhai visit, with the translator. We hope you enjoy it.

Join us in supporting Songhai and women like Rebecca by visiting our Donate page.

Songhai Women's Capital Fund #2

   Elvire Agbotome

                                                                                                                                                             

Elvire is married with two daughters. She began her venture into commercial agriculture by raising rabbits, and now that her rabbit business is taking off, she wants to diversify by also raising chickens and starting a market garden. 


Elvire’s passion for agriculture was initiated by the rampant malnutrition in her area. She hopes to help by raising chickens and eggs to provide much needed protein, and by growing vegetables to nourish her country.

When the micro-credit team visited Elvire's farm, they were incredibly impressed with the work already in place. There are currently 30 breeding rabbits housed in one building, with a second building available for raising chickens. The new chickens will be purchased with the micro-credit loan from Eliminate Poverty Now. 

“My end goal? To watch my daughters grow up in a country not known for its poverty, but for its strong, innovative women."

Here is the video of Elvire telling her story, with the translator again, when we visited Songhai. We hope you enjoy and get a sense of Elvire as a woman working to make a better world for her children.

Join us in supporting Songhai and women like Elvire by visiting our Donate page.