Ibrahima Niang
Micro Finance Success Story
Entrepreneur Ibrahima Niang inside his clothing boutique in Saint-Louis.
With his first loan, Ibrahima
purchased a bundle of used clothes, which he spread out for sale on a plastic tarp on the sidewalk of a main street in town.
Watching other salesmen, Ibrahima quickly learned to engage passers-by in friendly chit-chat, which often led to them taking a look at what he had to sell. He is naturally outgoing and friendly, but he never forgets that his business is to sell clothes.
Ibrahima paid off his first loan quickly and soon took out a second, adding more clothes to his inventory. But more inventory meant putting up his clothing display of hundreds of items every morning, then repacking it all every night to take it to a safe place. The next morning, of course, he had to start all over again. He dreamed of having his own small store, a real “boutique”.
Ambitious and the quintessential entrepreneur, Ibrahima found a small, run-down building in a good, high-traffic location in town; however, it needed extensive work that the owner could not afford. But Ibrahima was determined! He told the owner that he would do the work himself, repairing the roof, re-tiling the floor, painting the walls and ceiling, and more, if the owner, in turn, would agree to reduce Ibrahima’s rent as payment for the construction work that Ibrahima would do.
DEAL!
When the work was completed, Ibrahima again approached Friends of Senegal and its partner, Maison de la Gare, for a third loan. He was ready to open his boutique, to make his dream come true!
As you can imagine, we were there for him! No red tape, minimal paperwork, immediate approval: a loan well deserved!
From a sidewalk tarp to a professional storefront—Ibrahima’s boutique is a symbol of hard work and dignity.
Ibrahima’s store is much more than a business: it is a symbol of dignity and a bright future that he is building with courage and determination. And it’s donations from generous people like you that make all of this possible. YOU are changing lives by helping us make loans possible to entrepreneurs like Ibrahima, loans which are awarded, repaid, and the funds reused over and over again to help other young men and women entrepreneurs build a future for themselves and their families.
Your loyalty and financial support, year after year, make these human transformations possible. You are not just supporting projects, you are supporting lives, people who just need a little temporary help.
We and all of our borrowers thank you for your generosity, your trust, and your deeply humanitarian commitment.
With our deepest gratitude,
The Friends of Senegal team