Colette

Loan description:

Colette is 40 years old, she is married and has 6 children, 4 of them are enrolled in school. She is in the business of producing and selling ''gari.'' Gari, the staple food most common in Benin is a product with a consistence between dough and flour, made out of cassava through a complex, artisanal process that involves peeling, grating, pressing and cooking over low head the cassava pulp. Colette has a small production unit at home and she sometimes lend her equiment to other women in the village. (In fact Betrice Dossa, another entrepreneur was visiting Collete's workshop when their pictures were taken). Colette sells her entire gari production wholesale to long term customers. To help with the artisanal production of gari, she has 4 employees. In addition to this activity, she has a seasonal business selling banana bunches. Colette buys cassava tubercles and banana bunches in the fields around her village. She has received and repaid already several loans from the microfinance institution ACFB and she is now seeking a loan worth 600,000 FCFA. This would allow her to buy a modern presser to facilitate the gari production; the rest would be invested in strengthening her capital and buying raw materials mainly cassava turbercles and banana bunches. The benefits generated by this loan will enable her to help her husband with the children’s school fees and with the daily household expenses. Original text in French: Mariée avec 06 enfants à charge dont 04 scolarisés, Colette est âgée de 40 ans. Elle exerce depuis comme activités, la fabrication de la farine de manioc ‘’gari’’ dans son unité de production à la maison. Elle détient dans son portefeuille uniquement des clients grossistes à qui elle livre la totalité de sa production. Pour mieux satisfaire sa clientèle, elle a 04 employés afin de répondre aux exigences de ses clients. En plus de cette activité, elle a pour activité saisonnière la vente des régimes de bananes. Colette s’approvisionne en manioc et en régimes de banane dans les champs de son village et environ. Ayant déjà bénéficié plusieurs fois de crédits au près de l’ACFB, elle sollicite à présent un prêt de 600.000FCFA. Ce dernier lui permettrait en partie d’acheter une presseuse moderne et le reste sera investi dans le renforcement de son capital pour l’approvisionnement en matières premières. Le bénéfice dégagé de ce prêt lui permettra d’assister son mari pour les charges scolaires de leurs enfants puis aux dépenses globales du foyer.