Adjogno’s dream: A restaurant and a better education for her children

February 11, 2020

By: Hassan Hijazi

If your stomach is rumbling and begging for tantalizing snacks, street vendors are a great option. Vendors’ delicious and affordable food often represents their passion for sharing their culture. In addition to their own unique carts and treats, each vendor has a story of how they started their business.

Meet Adjogno! She works tirelessly every day to bring a better life for her family, who is her motivation. She will do anything she can to help them finish their education. "I enjoy working; my biggest motivation is my children," Adjogno said, "I want them to go to the university and finish their education so they can have more choices and options in the future."

Adjogno is the mother of 2 children, aged 18 and 28, and she’s been a street food vendor for more than 35 years. She started out as a vendor in the busy streets of Akodessewa, Togo, where she built a steady base of loyal customers, thanks to the area she worked in. Surrounded by garages and scrap yards, her food cart was always flooded with hungry laborers.

The business was thriving, but Adjogno couldn't fulfill her customers' demands for wider food choices. That's when she got a Kiva loan of $225 through Kiva’s field partner WAGES to buy food ingredients.

Thanks to the Kiva loan, Adjogno improved her business by expanding her service options and secured enough income to enroll her children in university. Inspired by her mother's success and determination, her daughter decided to help her with the business.