Be part of the solution by empowering 10 single mothers to start their own business and lift themselves out of poverty

Most of us want to make the world a better place, but we often ask ourselves where to start.

Let me give you an idea…

In alliance with Afri-link and the Belo Rural Development Association (BERUDA), a grass-root NGO in the North-West of Cameroon, I am aiming to empower 10 single mothers from vulnerable backgrounds. However, I can only do this with your help!

These single mothers face very difficult circumstances and struggle to cover their basic needs and those of their children. Your donation will help them start their own business so they can provide a better future for their families.

Why single mothers?

Being a young single mother is never easy, particularly in this region of Cameroon where being one is often stigmatized and it is more challenging. In most cases, they are left on their own by the father of the children and by their own families. They struggle to cover their children´s basic needs such as food, education, and healthcare, and these circumstances often force them to work on someone else´s farm and gain very little income.

Therefore, they need extra support!

How is this project going to help them?

This project will empower single mothers in two different ways:

I. Financial empowerment: The project will help them start their own business based on their preferences, skills, and previous education (if any). As a result, by having a more stable source of income, they will be able to provide for themselves and their children, by covering their most basic needs.

II. Family Planning: In 90% of the cases, pregnancies would have been avoided if information and access to sexual education was made available. By offering birth control advice to single mothers, they will be empowered to make their own informed decisions and prevent unplanned pregnancies.

The impact of your donation

Thanks to your donation, 10 single mothers will be able to open their businesses in:

• Hairdressing:

Faith, Goodness, Mareline, Jannet, and Chanceline would like to own their own hairdressing business. For this, they need to complete an apprenticeship which costs 24 pounds each (120 pounds) and buy tools and equipment for 180 pounds (900 pounds) to open their own place. Moreover, Goodness needs 30 pounds to buy food for her three young children for two months

• Tailoring

Shantal and Patience wish to open their own tailoring business. Shantal is still to pay her apprenticeship fee for 150 pounds. Moreover, they must pay a graduation fee for 50 pounds each (100 pounds) and for their business they require sewing machines and tools for 150 pounds each (300 pounds)

• Cosmetic Business

Harrieta would like to have her own cosmetic business to support her 10-month-old twins. She needs 150 pounds to buy the products and open her own place.

• Food Selling Business

Kindness and Belinda wish to open their own food business. Kindness wants to open a cake business to support her three children while she graduates from nursing school. She needs a starting capital of 85 pounds for the cake business and 250 for her education fees. Belinda wants to start a fruit selling business, but would like to have some capital which she could lend out and earn interest on. With a starting capital of 140 pounds, she will ensure that her business is sustainable in the long-term.

• Running costs: 150 pounds including transport and admin costs such as project reporting

What will you gain?

You will receive updates about the direct impact of your donations on the lives of Faith, Goodness, Mareline, Jannet, Chanceline, Shantal, Patience, Harrieta, Kindness, Belinda and their families.

Most importantly, you will help an entire community, half of which live under the poverty line. Empowering these 10 single mothers will not only provide a brighter future for their children (22 to be precise) but will also prompt economic development in the community by creating more jobs. Meaning that, the results of your donation will be endless!

Follow updates on the project on our facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Empower-10-single-mothers-to-become-entrepreneurs-799926126866160/

Shantal

Jannet

Mareline

Goodness

Harrietta

Patience

Kindness

Faith

Belinda

Chanceline