Fonkoze Client, Menila Christophe

This is the story of Menila Christophe. She is a part of a program in Haiti for the ultra-poor, run by Fonkoze (the micro-lender I worked with in Haiti). She is a recent graduate of the 18 month Chemen Lavi Miyò (CLM). According to the reporter for Fonkoze, her story was recorded one month prior to graduation. I share this story as a testament of the good work that is being done, to bring dignity to the poor in Haiti.

Lagonav, Haiti—My name is Menila Christophe. I am 55 years old and have eleven children and two grandchildren. Six of my children are currently living with me. I used to go to the market and buy gas or oil on credit, then resell it and make a small profit. When I started the Chemen Lavi Miyò Program (CLM), Fonkoze gave me 210 gourdes ($5.25) a week. I put all that money towards a cassava bread business and now I live on the profit from that business. I buy manioc and rent a metal plate for cooking the cassava. Making cassava bread is a very good business. Sometimes I also buy and sell rice and cornmeal. I want to start buying and selling flour and oil and eventually have a big business selling lots of different things.

I bought a donkey with my profit from making cassava bread. The donkey helps me get to the markets. With a donkey I have freedom to go anywhere, whereas before I had to carry everything myself and could only sell things at the market very close to my house. I have five goats, too, and I am able to keep them safe.

I used to have to borrow a little bit of money to find food for my children. I would sometimes find food for one day and sometimes not. Now I'm feeding my family twice a day. We eat rice, corn and vegetables. I have a garden that is big enough to feed my family from. I'm growing peanuts, congo beans, manioc, and sweet potatoes. Before CLM, I didn't have a house and lived in a water cistern house. I couldn't send my children to school. But now I have enough money to feed them and send them all to school and life is easier for me. I am very happy. The CLM program has helped me solve so many problems. I plan to always be a member of Fonkoze.