Meet Aissatou Cissé /Dyma Aissatou Cissé

Aissatou Cissé, known as Aida, lives in Niarry Tally community in Dakar, Senegal. She is an entrepreneur and sells fresh produce in a street stall. When the pandemic hit and lockdowns came into force, it hit businesses like Aida’s hard.

Aida was forbidden to trade because markets caused public gatherings. Thankfully, Aida was able to get help from her local women’s collective. The collective – which United Purpose supports through training, providing equipment and improving access to markets – has a community savings group. Aida was able to access the funds she’d saved through the collective, allowing her to provide for her two children through the hard times, and restart her business once the restrictions ended.

Aida says: “We have overcome the crisis thanks to the collective.”

In Senegal, as a result of the Welsh Government-funded COVID-19 response project, United Purpose has supported 400 women’s groups with over 12,000 members to improve their businesses.

Mae Aissatou Cissé, sy'n cael ei hadnabod fel Aida, yn byw yng nghymuned Niarry Tally yn Dakar, Senegal. Mae hi'n entrepreneur ac yn gwerthu cynnyrch ffres ar stondin stryd. Pan darodd y pandemig ac i’r cyfnodau clo ddod i rym, dioddefodd busnesau fel un Aida yn fawr.

Cafodd ei gwahardd rhag masnachu oherwydd bod marchnadoedd yn arwain at ymgynnull cyhoeddus.mDiolch byth, llwyddodd Aida i gael help gan ei chyfnewidfa fenywod lleol. Mae gan y gyfnewidfa – y mae United Purpose yn ei chefnogi drwy ddarparu hyfforddiant, offer a gwell mynediad i farchnadoedd – grŵp cynilo cymunedol. Roedd Aida yn gallu cael gafael ar yr arian roedd hi wedi'i gynilo drwy'r gydweithfa, gan ei galluogi i ofalu am ei dau blentyn drwy'r cyfnod, ac ailgychwyn ei busnes unwaith y daeth y cyfyngiadau i ben.

Dywed Aida: “Rydyn ni wedi goroesi’r argyfwng, diolch i'r gydweithfa.”

Yn Senegal, o ganlyniad i brosiect ymateb COVID-19 dan nawdd Llywodraeth Cymru, mae United Purpose wedi cefnogi 400 o grwpiau menywod gyda dros 12,000 o aelodau i wella eu busnesau.