Korka is an active and enthusiastic member of the Ouarkhokh agricultural cooperative. She is proud of her work in the group’s garden.
Korka Diouf, 46, recently moved to Ouarkhokh and joined her sister as a member of the village’s agricultural cooperative. Korka lives with her sister and her sister’s family in their compound.
Korka has learned much through her training from CREATE! field technicians. The improved cookstove design “amazes” her and she also enjoys participating in cooperative gardening and poultry production. Korka appreciates that her training through CREATE! has produced year-round access to green vegetables and chicken for her and her family. In addition, she loves that the cookstove program preserves the environment by reducing firewood use. “I am very proud of all the activities that I participate in here in my community, especially the market gardening,” she adds.
Korka presses locally available foods such as hibiscus, monkey bread, and ginger into fruit juice. After learning financial management skills and participating in CREATE!’s Voluntary Savings and Lending Association (VSLA) in Ouarkhokh, Korka has been able to increase her juice production. She now dreams of expanding her business into other local communities. With training and support from CREATE! and her fellow cooperative members, she is now an “entrepreneur!”
The VSLA in Ouarkhokh makes small loans to members such as Korka. With a loan from her VSLA, Korka was able to expand production of juice for her business.