Adding to basket
Mrs. Fatoumata Traoré, age 40, is married and the mother of four children. She lives in a polygamous family with her husband, her two co-spouses and their children, in the Médina Coura neighborhood in the town of Koutiala (Sikasso Region).
Not having had the chance to pursue brilliant studies, she's been earning money since her youth, which she learned from her mother. After trying several businesses, she finally settled for buying and selling firewood. With 20 years of experience in this market, she's very much in demand and can sell several truckloads of firewood in one week.
To bolster her business, Mrs. Fatoumata turned to Kiva's partner, the microfinance institution Soro Yiriwaso, from which she's seeking her first individual loan. With this loan, she intends to buy four truckloads of firewood in the villages surrounding Koutiala, in order to resell them at the market in Koutiala, on credit or for cash, to a clientele comprising both men and women.
She intends to turn a monthly profit of XOF 80'000 (ca US$ 150), to be used to repay the loan and contribute to the family's small expenses.
Translated from French by Kiva volunteer Patrick Stadelmann. View original language description.
