Marthe Ndoumbe Faye is a courageous woman, married, and mother to a little boy who is now 5 years old. She lived in great financial hardship, her husband working as a gardener and struggling to meet the needs of their family.

Her encounter with the Good Shepherd sisters changed her life. They took the time to truly listen to her, and understand her situation. Trying to stay hopeful, Faye joined the Good Shepherd training center in Dakar to learn cooking and baking, hoping that she could eventually earn a decent income and support her family.

From the start, the sisters showed immense kindness: they gave her a significant reduction in training fees, and a few months later, they covered all of her expenses. Balancing studies with family life wasn’t easy. To attend her training, Faye had to entrust her son to her mother in Thiès – a city about 70 km southeast of Dakar – which made every separation painful and difficult. The sisters, attentive to her situation, invited her to take part in their Jiggen Joggal program, dedicated to the economic empowerment of women in vulnerable situations. Thanks to this program, Faye was able to purchase a refrigerator, raw materials, and equipment to start her small business.

At the same time, she received training in entrepreneurship 2 hours per week for a year, which enabled her to strengthen her skills. Faye started selling coffee, juices, and water in front of her house after class. However, during her second year, tensions arose with her husband, as he didn’t accept her working in the evenings. This situation led to a painful separation and left her without housing. Faye was ready to give up: how could she continue her studies, where would she live, and how could she keep her business going? Once again, the Good Shepherd sisters supported her, hosted her in the sisters’ residence, and encouraged her not to give up.

Thanks to this invaluable help, Faye obtained her diploma and returned to Thiès, unable to find work or housing in Dakar. There, she started to explore new opportunities with the support of the sisters. Deeply grateful and especially driven by the desire to “give back” to those who had supported her, Faye formed a partnership with the Good Shepherd training center in Thiès. She has now been helping with classes and administration for 2 years, while continuing to develop her small catering business.

Today, Faye can proudly and gratefully say that she has stable employment and is on the path to economic independence. Her 5-year-old son is growing up surrounded by love, care and support. She speaks emotionally, often with tears in her eyes, that without the support of the sisters, she would not have been able to overcome these challenges.

My dream now is to open my own business and continue inspiring other women to believe in themselves