Bosede Ogunleye, Nigeria

Bosede perseveres through abuse to build a better life for herself and her family. 

Seven years ago, Bosede Ogunleye of Nigeria only earned about 26 cents a day selling small sachets of filtered water on the street. Not only was Bosede unable to feed her two small children with the money she made, but she was also in an abusive marriage. At the very least, she needed a way to bring in more income to support her family.

Bosede took out a loan for 10,000 Nara (US$90) at Self-Reliance Economic Advancement Programme (SEAP), a microfinance intuition, with which she was able to invest in other products to sell and grow her clientele. In 2007, she purchased a freezer and generator and began selling frozen fish and meats. However, Bosede’s husband was outraged at his wife’s success—and at SEAP for empowering her to start her new venture. He even visited SEAP’s offices, threatening loan officers and demanding to know why they lent her money. Soon after, he abandoned Bosede and their children.

Nonetheless, she is proud of her accomplishments. She’s grown her household income more than six-fold, earning nearly $4.50 per day and placing her family squarely in the Nigerian middle class. Bosede can now pay her children’s school fees with ease and is free from worrying about their next meal.