One woman is making significant strides in Senegal's agri-food sector. Meet Aissatou Fall, the director of AF Goods and Services. Her company operates in the agri-food value chain, focusing on storage logistics and unprocessed commodities.
Aissatou founded her company without specific entrepreneurial skills. However, she has transformed her business thanks to the Women Creating Wealth Initiative (WCW-I) programme. "This programme is what I have been looking for. Aissatou says. "I even considered enrolling in a paid course to enhance my entrepreneurial skills. Then, while exploring social media, I came across the WCW-I programme and thought, why not try it?"
"To my surprise, the programme exceeded my expectations. It perfectly met my needs as an entrepreneur wanting to grow her business. That's why I encouraged several women entrepreneurs to sign up. It covers all the necessary skills--from finance to marketing, leadership, and governance. It's a comprehensive programme, comparable to an MBA in the U.S. or Senegal, for which people would pay a lot. I thought it would be ordinary, but it was exceptional."
Aissatou was pleasantly surprised by the skills she acquired. The new knowledge has positively impacted her company. "The quality of the training was exceptional," she notes. "It gave me greater self-confidence and the desire to explore new markets for my products."
"Thanks to the Graça Machel Trust, I have learned to exploit market expansions, which has helped my business. It enabled me to open new distribution channels. I've gained a deep understanding of many aspects I would have needed to assimilate more quickly."
She was so engaged with the course that she stayed up until three in the morning, listening to audio and watching videos. "I learned so much in such a short time that I couldn't afford to miss out. It was a fantastic springboard for developing my business regarding skills, leadership, growth, and opening up new horizons."
Above all, the programme convinced her of the quality of her product and its potential in other markets. "My self-confidence and independence have improved. Thanks to the WCW-I programme, I realised that my Senegalese market was limited. It was crucial to extend my commercial presence to the sub-region. That's why I designed a new product: plastic pallets to help companies palletise their products.
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"As the market leader in Senegal and West Africa, the WCW-I programme made me realise the importance of prospecting other companies and countries to expand my market. From two employees when I started in 2017, I will have ten employees by the end of 2024!"
The WCW-I programme has given Aissatou the tools and confidence to expand her business and explore new markets. Her story exemplifies how supporting women entrepreneurs can lead to significant growth and innovation in local economies.
