TIKOS
Changing Lives Forever
Enterprise Esse
Entreprise Esse is a cereal retailer at the Dadjidogomé Assiyeye market in Lomé, Togo. She buys beans, maize, soy, and manioc flour from widows and small farmers in towns north of Kpalimé (Adéta, Akata, Amou Oblo), providing them with a reliable sales outlet.
The market is organized into about 30 guilds that set uniform prices for each product category. Esse is part of an association of roughly 100 cereal sellers (URRCMDA) sharing a fenced, brick-built market with individual booths and night security.
She employs three deaf men to unload and store the cereal sacks, paying them per sack. With targeted support, she could expand her purchases, increase turnover, and further strengthen the livelihoods of her suppliers and employees.
Progress:
Enterprise Esse
The borrower used the loan to purchase larger quantities of beans and corn during the harvest season, improving purchasing margins. However, high transport and rental costs in Lomé, combined with declining market prices, have put significant pressure on the business. As a result, she is considering shifting to a small neighborhood shop operated from her home in Kpalimé to reduce costs and improve profitability. So far, however, little progress has been made in implementing this transition.