Before joining Empower Her Ability, Mary Maikano was running her chemist business primarily for daily survival. Her focus was on generating enough income to meet immediate needs, with little attention to long-term business growth or strategic management.
One of Mary’s biggest challenges was poor record keeping. Without proper financial tracking, it was difficult for her to assess whether her business was truly growing or simply maintaining itself.
Through Empower Her Ability, Mary participated in physical and online entrepreneurship training, mentorship, and received ₦100,000 in financial support. The program helped her understand financial management, business discipline, and the importance of running her business intentionally.
Today, Mary has expanded her stock by purchasing more products such as sanitary pads, biscuits, and food condiments. She also now maintains better business records and has started building a social media presence where she educates customers about health and medication while promoting her business.
Beyond operational improvements, the project strengthened her confidence to speak publicly about her business both online and offline.
Although she still faces financial limitations that affect expansion, Mary now approaches her business with stronger systems and clearer growth goals.
Her story highlights how business support can shift entrepreneurs from survival thinking to intentional growth planning.
Quote:
“Before joining this program, I was just running my business to survive daily, but now I understand how to manage it better, keep records, and think about growth.”
