| Participant | Habiba Yusuf |
| Location | Lifecamp, FCT |
| Business | Ready-to-Wear Clothing Production |
| Disability | Deaf |
| Programme | Empower Her Ability |
Before joining the Empower Her Ability Project, Habiba Yusuf’s ready-to-wear clothing business faced low sales and limited customer patronage. Although she was already producing clothing, reaching new customers and maintaining consistent sales remained difficult.
Her business growth was also constrained by inadequate equipment, particularly the lack of a sewing machine that could support more efficient production and help her expand her range of clothing.
Habiba’s main challenges were limited market access, low customer patronage, and insufficient resources to increase production. These barriers made it difficult for her to attract and retain customers, improve sales, and establish a stronger presence in the fashion market.
As a deaf entrepreneur, access to appropriate opportunities and support was also important in helping her build business connections and promote her products more confidently.
Through the Empower Her Ability Project, Habiba received entrepreneurship training, mentorship support, and financial assistance through a business challenge and cash support initiative.
Mentorship was particularly valuable to her. It encouraged her to strengthen her business management practices, especially financial record keeping and tracking income and expenses. The project also provided opportunities for her to showcase her products and engage with potential customers.
Together, these interventions helped Habiba develop practical business skills and become more intentional about promoting and managing her enterprise.
Following her participation in the project, Habiba made important improvements to her business operations. She now keeps financial records and has separated her personal and business bank accounts, allowing her to manage her finances more effectively.
Her confidence in marketing her products has also grown. She now actively promotes her clothing, participates in showcase opportunities, and engages more confidently with potential customers. These efforts have contributed to a wider customer base, improved income, and increased production.
With the progress made, Habiba has also been able to purchase more materials to produce ready-to-wear garments for display and sale. Her experience demonstrates how practical business knowledge, mentorship, and increased visibility can help an entrepreneur strengthen her operations and pursue new growth opportunities.
Despite these achievements, financial constraints continue to limit Habiba’s expansion plans. As her business grows, her home workspace is no longer sufficient for her needs, making a dedicated physical shop an important next step.
She also requires additional production materials and equipment, as well as a generator to address electricity challenges that affect her work. Access to these resources would help her improve production capacity, display her clothing more effectively, and serve a broader customer base.
| Key change: Habiba progressed from low sales and limited customer access to improved financial management, greater confidence in marketing, increased production, and stronger business visibility. Through the Empower Her Ability Project, she has taken practical steps towards growing her ready-to-wear clothing business, while access to additional resources remains important for her next stage of expansion.
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