From surviving to thriving, a petty trader turns her passion for tailoring to profit

Dada Yusuf Abdullahi is a 33-year old mother of 8 from Aso Rock Community, Biu Local Government of Borno State. Her community is located in southern Borno and was affected significantly by the insurgency, making it hard for businesses to thrive - especially those that were women-owned.

Dada was a roadside petty trader before venturing into tailoring. Her love for fashion was born during her school days at Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri, Borno State. After completing school, she started a tailoring business but growth was inhibited  by  challenges such as access to sewing materials, finance, learning and capacity, and a community that focused on survival during the conflict. Recounting her experience, Dada said,

“Before, I used to sell items like peanuts, tiger nuts, and dates on the street to earn something to support my family. But as time went on, especially when I was in school, I knew that I had to do something different to earn more, because what I was earning was not enough to effectively support my family. I started learning to sew and with time, I saved and bought a sewing machine. That is how my business started.”

Through her engagement with the Rural Resilience Activity and Zenith of the Girl Child and Women Initiative Supports (ZEGCAWIS), Dada’s sewing capacity has been built. She has also learned about entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and business management.

“When you are doing something without new knowledge, you will think that is all there is. But through the training and capacity building I received, I do things differently now. I have the sewing machine that I use at home. What has stopped me from opening a shop is that I just gave birth to my 8th child. For me, it has been a transition from petty trading to school to starting my fashion business and then trying to balance my family. Honestly, this is where the knowledge of business management comes in handy for me. I have been linked to suppliers of sewing materials that I can buy at wholesale prices, solving a problem that I faced in the past.”

Dada’s business has improved – she has improved her designs and the quality of her products. And today with the use of sales record forms, she is tracking her successes and is on her way to profit maximization.

“I used to make a dress for NGN 2,000, but now I charge from NGN 3,500 and up. This is because my delivery in style and quality has changed. Previously, I barely saved NGN 2,000 in a week, but now I save between NGN 8,000 and NGN 9,000. For me, it is not only about the money, but I have this deep feeling of independence, I no longer depend solely on hands out of what I get from others to support my family.

Dada says this is a pathway to freedom for her.  “I belong to a local savings group here where we save with other women. For now, I have not employed anybody yet, but I want to in the future and to be an inspiration to other young ladies out there in my community; I want them to know that they have all it takes to earn a living and support themselves and their families.”

About Feed the Future Nigeria Rural Resilience Activity

The Feed the Future Nigeria Rural Resilience Activity is a five-year, US$49 million program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to facilitate economic recovery and growth in vulnerable, conflict-affected areas by promoting systemic change in market systems. The Activity is part of the U.S. Government's global hunger and food security initiative. It is aimed at empowering vulnerable households, communities, and systems to cope with current shocks and stresses and to be prepared to withstand future ones.

The Activity is implemented by Mercy Corps, in partnership with the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) and Save the Children (SCI), primarily in the Northeast states of Adamawa, Borno, Gombe, and Yobe. The activity supports smallholder farmers and microenterprises by facilitating their economic recovery and growth and ensures that they move out of chronic vulnerability and poverty through expanded opportunities.