Ramata (centre) was a single mom working hard to stay afloat. She flipped the narrative when she started a savings group and became an investor. Photo: World Vision
Written by: World Vision Staff; Edited by Leanna Cappiello
My name is Ramata and I was one of the first community volunteers to supervise sponsored children in our community.
I’m a 53-year-old divorced woman. I have 12 children, six are girls, and I live in the Samba Thillo district where a community development centre was built.
I am one of the founding women who started the saving groups in this neighbourhood. We started small in 2014. Now, we have 27 savings groups in the community of Kaedi.
Before joining the neighbourhood savings group, I worked in the clothing trade. But I never had enough money, and getting a loan was difficult.
After three years with our savings group, I took a loan of $100,000 UM (about $281 USD) that I invested in rice farming. I paid for seeds, five seasonal workers, a husking machine and empty bags.
Help a hardworking family provide for their children. Invest in a small business.
I got 57 bags of rice that I sold at the market for a value of 186,400 UM ($523 USD). This allowed me to pay my [investment] debts and make a profit of 86,000 UM ($241 USD), which helped me pay for the health care and private school fees for one of my children.
I know that the next year, I will make more profit from the experience I have already gained in rice farming. Today, rice growing means hope for families who have no support or income. I thank World Vision for all that they have done for our community.