Dear friend,
Economic instability, natural disasters, and a lack of opportunities are some of the many challenges people face when maintaining or growing their small businesses. For those who rely on agriculture and fishing, these challenges are amplified.
Today, we’re sharing the story of business owner Chantal, who is overcoming those barriers. With Mercy Corps’ help, she is creating economic opportunities for her community.
Chantal, 65, has been a farmer for most of her life. Eight years ago, she was forced to move from one farming area to another due to droughts in Senegal.
In a new location, she started cultivating bananas — in addition to crops she was familiar with — and processing low-quality bananas into cereals, flour, and other banana-based goods.
Her new business quickly gained popularity in her area. It also sparked the interest of many banana farmers in her area, looking to sell her their lower-quality bananas.
But there was a major problem: The equipment needed to process the bananas ran on a diesel generator, which is very expensive and affected the smell and quality of her products. She was only able to sell to her community, restricting her market share and profit level.
In 2022, Mercy Corps teams installed solar-powered equipment at the processing unit. The switch from gas to solar helped her save money on energy, allowed her to produce high-quality products, and enabled her to scale to new markets.
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[left] Chantal and her colleagues stand next to new solar-powered equipment. [right] Chantel displays her packages of banana products.
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For Chantal, the solar-powered equipment made a world of a difference. She says, "What brings me the most happiness is that since we got the machine and started producing, when people come here, we proudly present our products."
Give a thumbs up if you found Chantal’s story inspiring.
With support from people like you, Mercy Corps helps entrepreneurs overcome incredible challenges and make an impact in their communities. Thank you for being part of our community.
Sincerely,
The Mercy Corps team
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