A Story of Personal & Economic Transformation. Meet Ndeye.
Ndeye was an ordinary person in her village in Senegal. She was very timid, and did not like to speak in public. She would shy away and hide her face when she had to speak with anyone.
One day, Ndeye became aware of the Ndereppe Epicenter, which encompassed her village. She began attending a training with The Hunger Project, and then another, and then another. Over the course of two to three years, she took all of the programs offered by The Hunger Project at her local epicenter, including a business literacy course that trained women in arithmetic and accounting. This course also provided an opportunity for ten graduates to gain experience by managing the Epicenter store, a social enterprise that supports community activities. She was one of those ten individuals.
It is difficult to convey how important this role is. The Epicenter store is very important - it is at the center of the community. The store is where the entire Epicenter community gets the supplies they need.
After just one year, Ndeye was promoted. She became one of the four women who led the Epicenter store. The shop is managed on rotation, a woman managing the store for 3 months at a time.
With the wage from this job, and the knowledge she had acquired, Ndeye diversified. She now both makes peanut oil and embroiders cloth to sell. Ndeye is transformed - personally and economically.
Her status within her family has improved. Her children now attend school. The Hunger Project-Senegal’s Country Manager, Alassane Pouye, reflecting on Ndeye’s story said “[you can see] a completely transformed person - from where she started to today. She is at the center of her community and thriving. Her family and her children, the transformation of her home, and it is all visible to the community.”
In Ndeye’s Words:
“My knowledge has improved by working in the store. I have especially improved in arithmetic. I also learned more about accounting and how to get an overview of your income and expenditure. That knowledge is very useful, because I want to invest my earnings from the store in my own business.
I buy fabric, embroider it, and then sell the embroidered cloth for a profit.
I also make peanut oil, as a supplement to the income. My dream is to open my own store.”
Ndeye is an inspiration to every hardworking mom - both in her community and around the world. But the best part is that Ndeye’s story is just one of many.
