BABY BEANS (Katie M. Koroma)
Sierra Leone – Business Development

Sierra Leonean Katie M. Koroma has a thorough understanding of what it means to work hard. A biological mother of six and a guardian to three  more, Katie is known far and wide as “Baby Beans” for the mouthwatering combination of beans, meat, and root crops she prepares and sells on a daily basis. Ask anyone in the CAUSE office: a lunch with Baby Beans is an unforgettable one.

Katie’s begins by visiting the market before 8am and then spending the next 3 hours preparing her delicious concoction in several massive pots. She and an apprentice will then carry the huge loads on their heads directly to their clientele scattered throughout Kabala, Sierra Leone. The day is done when the beans are, and that can be 8, 9, or even 10pm! Excluding Sundays and regular bouts of illness, 41 year old Baby Beans has held this routine for the past 31 years, first as an apprentice to her mother, and then for herself from the age of 22.

Due to a lack of access to capital, Katie has been forced to purchase her raw product in small quantities. For example, the beans she buys at the market were, until recently, purchased at 700 Leones ($0.30 CDN) per cup.  This has now changed.  Through the Business Development Component of the CAUSE Canada Women’s Integral Empowerment Program, Katie has attended training sessions that covered topics such as customer service, market research and price-setting, Katie formed a solidarity group with three other micro-entrepreneurs.  Together, the four women applied for a small loan from CAUSE Canada’s Microcredit Program. With her initial loan of 150,000 Leones ($50 CDN), Baby Beans now buys beans in bulk—half the cost as before!

When asked about the plans for her increased profits, Baby Beans humbly responds that after setting aside the amount required for weekly repayment of the loan, she locks half in her savings drawer in case of a family emergency. The other half goes towards varying the family meals, purchasing new school uniforms and supplies and the newfound ability to visit the local health clinic and purchase medicines whenever necessary.