Rebuilding after Tragedy

BURUNDI – As a wife and mother, Léonie’s daily job was running her household. But everything changed when her husband tragically passed away and Leonie needed to provide for her four children alone.

After attending local coffee growing trainings, Léonie began harvesting coffee and selling it to local merchants but barely made enough to buy her children school supplies. Wanting to grow her business, Léonie tried to take out a loan in her community, but traditional banks weren’t willing to give her a chance.

Then, she heard about Turame Community Finance, HOPE’s microfinance institution in Burundi and applied for a loan. She used her first loan to purchase fertilizers and hire workers. Her coffee harvest flourished, and she began selling product at a higher price.

After repaying her initial loan, Léonie took out two more, using the funds to pay her children’s school fees, increase her workers’ pay, improve the quality of her soil, and save for her family’s future.

Since joining a Turame loan group, Léonie developed deeper relationships in her community. She shares, “In the neighborhood, they treat me well, and I also feel comfortable with them. When they come to visit, I welcome them warmly, and they leave happy. I also feel happy.”

Looking to the future, Léonie shares that “In three years, I want to have made more progress than where I am now, having accomplished my projects. I hope to have at least three cows as well. For my children, I pray that that God blesses them always so that they may also grow up well. “If I look at how I have improved in Turame, now I am very happy because I see that God has blessed me abundantly.”