Chay-a Abdawa is a mother of six and president of the El Wihda cooperative in Nouakchott, Mauritania. El Wihda produces traditional tents known as khaïmas. Once emblematic of Mauritanian culture, the tents have historically been used in nomadic life in the Sahara Desert. Despite an increasing shift away from a nomadic way of life among Mauritanians, the tents are popular with tourists, traders and workers who like to relax in them after a long day of work. "It is our culture, the culture of our people," says the entrepreneur.

Her small business, created in 2000, had not been able to reach its full potential, despite a flourishing market. But in 2018, through the African Development Fund's Project for the promotion of micro, small and medium enterprises and youth employment (PAMPEJ), Chay-a received five sewing machines. "These machines allowed us to improve productivity and reduce fatigue. I then hired nine women, giving preference to those who bear the bulk of the family burden."

Approved in 2016, the PAMPEJ project received a loan of nearly $3.5 million and a grant of $714,000 from the African Development Fund.

The project supports access to financing for young people and women-owned enterprises in Mauritania. The program helps to remove funding barriers by providing beneficiaries with equipment through a leasing formula. It also facilitates access to micro-credit and provides training to beneficiaries.

Nearly a year into the project's implementation, over 600 micro, small and medium enterprises and more than 1,200 jobs had been created. Abdawa hopes that her cooperative will continue to thrive. "This cooperative has allowed me to have a stable and sustainable income to send my children to school and buy them clothes," she says. "I am hopeful that my income will improve further and that the cooperative will continue to grow."