Bodjona Yvette, proud to belong to the AFLATOUN club
20 years old, Yvette Bodjona is one of the students who have stood out since the launching of the activities of the AFLATOUN Club at the Complexe Privé Laïc Sainte Fatima de Tsévié, Togo. In her final year of secondary school, her abilities and involvement in the club have earned her the nickname of “Maman Dangoté”, in reference to the rich and famous Nigerian businessman.
Yvette had no concept of financial management or business. She spent the pocket money she received from her parents for her personal needs without worrying about the future, let alone thinking about savings. She preferred to buy gifts and more or less important objects. The direct consequence? Her money ran out before the end of the month and she sometimes did not have enough to cover certain needs. One day, through a classmate, she discovered the AFLATOUN club at her school, where she could learn about Social and Financial Education, for example how to manage money better. The Aflatoun Club was created under the project ‘Life Skills and Financial Education Through a Gender Lens’, supported by Dubai Cares, which aims to reach 6000 young people in three countries – Togo, Mali and Niger.
Yvette has been a member of the club since its creation in 2020. Through the training sessions in school about entrepreneurship and self-employment skills, she discovered a new world. The different sessions opened her eyes to the way she manages her financial resources and the new skills she can apply.
Very soon, she initiated an income-generating activity. With her first savings, Yvette started selling clothes and accessories (shoes, clothes, purses, etc.). This is a very profitable activity according to her, as her customers are mainly her schoolmates and other pupils in the town of Tsévié.
Today, the value of her business is estimated at 200,000 CFA francs, whereas she initially started her income-generating activity with 20,000 CFA francs. Her schoolmates are proud of her because she runs a strong and competitive business thanks to the skills she acquired at the AFLATOUN club. Yvette has the support of her parents and teachers, who are always ready to help her succeed in her project.
Despite her success, Yvette keeps her head on her shoulders. To ensure the sustainability of her business, she continues to save 300 CFA francs a day at the microfinance institute. In her opinion, without the AFLATOUN Club, she would not have learned all these good practices. “I can only say thank you to the AFLATOUN Club because today I have discovered that I am gifted for business. I think I have found my true calling,” she says with pride.
After her baccalaureate, Yvette wants to professionalise her business and learn new techniques to become an international trader. She wants to become a point of reference in the business world.
