Empowered Worldview: Rouka Douzané: From Community Savings to Sustainable Entrepreneurship

In Moundou, in the Logone Occidental province where World Vision supports communities, Ms. Rouka Douzané has become a symbol of success and transformation. As a member of an S4T (Savings for Transformation) group formed through the Empowered Worldview project, she began by contributing5 000 CFA francs.

Her first savings cycle allowed her to accumulate 400,000 CFA francs around $700 USD, which she invested to open her restaurant. The second cycle yielded 800,000 CFA francs around $1,400 USD, which she used to expand her business. Finally, the third cycle allowed her to access 1,000,000 CFA francs around $1,700 USD, further solidifying the expansion of her restaurant.

Today, her establishment employs 13 people, including 8 full-time staff. The impact is clear: families benefit from a steady income, and the community enjoys a place to gather and dine.

Her employees share their stories:

“Before working here, I didn’t have a steady income. Now, I can provide for my family.”

“Ms. Rouka inspires us. She shows us that with savings and solidarity, anything is possible.”

With the support of local authorities, she has already obtained the permits to transform her restaurant into a multifunctional space: providing lodging and a workshop space, in addition to restaurant service.

Madame Rouka’s story is not limited to entrepreneurship. She also embodies a courageous fight against harmful cultural practices that hinder the empowerment of women and girls. Through her commitment and status as a role model, she helps raise awareness in her community about the dangers of early marriage, gender-based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM), and discrimination. Her journey demonstrates that investing in women is investing in equality and social justice.

Her ambition doesn’t stop there. She hopes to bring the Empowered Worldview training to her village of Pala and create new S4T groups so that other families, too, can escape poverty and break free from harmful practices.

“Thanks to Empowered Worldview, poverty will disappear from my life and that of my community,” she affirms with conviction.