With the Right Support, Juliane Turned a Setback Into a New Start

At the time this post was written, Juliane was 10 months into her 18-month journey though our social promotion program, Chemen Lavi Miyò (CLM).

Juliane’s story is about adaptation—and what becomes possible when support is designed to fit a person’s reality.

She lives with her daughter in a home that belongs to her sister. It offers shelter, but not permanence. For years, Juliane supported her family through physically demanding work as a broom merchant—climbing the hills around her community to gather raw materials, paying a craftsman to assemble the brooms, and carrying heavy bundles on her head to market. It was difficult work, but it kept food on the table and her daughter in school.

Over time, her health made that work impossible to sustain.

When Juliane enrolled in Fonkoze’s Chemen Lavi Miyò (CLM) program, she was no longer able to generate reliable income. She depended on support from relatives and the modest wages her daughter earned as a preschool teacher.

Through CLM, Juliane received a package of support: regular coaching, access to savings and credit, and a cash transfer to invest in a livelihood that matched her current capacity.

She used those funds with care.

Juliane chose to invest in goats—assets that do not require the same level of physical strain as her previous work, but still offer a pathway to income and financial security. What began as two goats has already grown. One has given birth, and with additional program funds, she purchased another that was already pregnant. Her herd is expanding, creating both future earning potential and a safeguard in times of need.

She also made a deliberate decision about how to use the remaining cash.

Rather than starting a new business herself, Juliane invested 3,000 gourds into her daughter’s small business selling laundry and hygiene products. That investment allowed her daughter to increase inventory and generate more consistent sales—strengthening the household’s income in a way that reflects Juliane’s health and energy.

This is how CLM works in practice: families make decisions that align with their circumstances, building income in ways that are realistic and sustainable.

Juliane is proud of the changes she’s made. “I never thought I would be standing in a market, buying a goat,” she says. But she is focused on what comes next. Food must be purchased daily. Savings must grow.

Each week, she contributes to her savings and loan association—building a financial cushion and establishing access to credit. Recently, she took a small loan to cover food expenses and has already begun repaying it on time.

At the same time, something more permanent is taking shape.

With support from CLM, Juliane and her daughter are building a home of their own. The frame is up, the roof is in place, and the foundation has been laid. Carpenters are now preparing the wood for the walls and doors.

For Juliane, this home represents stability and a step toward independence.

Your support makes this possible. Through cash transfers, coaching, and access to financial tools, CLM equips families to make informed decisions and build a path forward that fits their lives.

For Juliane, that path is already underway.