Lami Koulsumi is the third wife of a 74-year-old man, and has seven children. She lives in Bouar. She does not know her age, although she guesses she is around 30. When, due to age, her husband became unable to work, she, his other two wives and all their children (22 in total) began to really struggle. They couldn’t always feed their children, had to stop sending them to school and could not afford medicines if they became ill. By taking out a loan from the savings and loans project, Koulsumi was able to start a small business selling fritters. She said: “...Now that I am selling fritters, I can send my kids to school and we have enough to eat. Since I am earning money, my husband is no longer like a king here. I can make decisions now that I have money... Now I have this business my girls are all in school. I want them to grow up being able to take care of themselves, just like I have learned to do”
Photograph: Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps
The Guardian
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