In the rural village of Khodoba, approximately 75 km East of Dakar, Senegal, Aminata Khole runs an organic spice brand called “Jongoma”. Having started out as an informal entrepreneur selling homemade organic spice blends to neighbors, she has grown into the owner of a professional business, with sales far beyond the community borders in less than two years.
With the support of ENERGIA’s partner Mercy Corps/Energy 4 Impact), Aminata was able to expand her business and triple her income. From a one-woman business, Jongoma now employs two additional people and Aminata is set to grow even more. All thanks to training, mentoring and funding matchmaking. Her story illustrates how women entrepreneurs, when equipped with the right tools and training, can improve sustainability, create jobs, and transform local economic ecosystems.
How it began
In 2014, Aminata of only 22 years old, started selling biological spice blends with the aim of contributing to the reduction of spices and herbal teas that are harmful to health on the market. She was happy with the extra income she earned, which helped her to take care of her daily affairs and livelihood. At first, she sold her products only to her friends and neighbors and it was in 2018 that she formalized her business.
Once formalized and selling locally, Aminata’s aimed for more. She dreamt of selling her spices beyond the local market, offering them to restaurants and traditional markets. When a friend told her about the Foyré Rewbé project, Aminata immediately applied and got accepted.
The project gave her access to training, business mentoring, and a grant, which she invested in buying packaging materials and processing equipment. In addition, the project’s technical mentors taught her how to optimize her hybrid food dryer by switching to only solar. “The training helped me improve my dryer usage. I now use only solar energy instead of gas”, says Aminata. “The money I save, I reinvest in my business.”
Going green
Aminata plans on expanding her business and move entirely toward renewable energy. While she currently uses solar power for drying, other key machines, such as her mills, still run on electricity. Her dream is to buy a solar-powered packaging machine, a solar pump, and a solar-powered cooling system that will allow her to store her products year-round and further her production costs. “To truly grow, I need to master the entire value chain, from raw material production to processing and packaging, all powered by clean energy,” Aminata says.
Speaking up and speaking out
From a shy woman selling spices in artisanal sachets to her neighbors, Aminata has transformed into a confident businesswoman selling professional packaged spice-sticks suitable for retail at local markets and employing two people.
Over the years and with the program’s support, Aminata developed into a determined young woman with strong leadership skills and excellent negotiation abilities. These qualities have enabled her to build an extensive network of contacts. Today, she exhibits her products at all national trade fairs and private sales events; her products are well positioned in the national market.
Aminata has become one of the project’s champions advocating for the empowerment of women and young people. With the support of Mercy Corps and other partners, Aminata hopes to expand her business by purchasing land on which she wants to build a laboratory to increase her production and provide jobs for other young people.
