Marie turned a spark into a new future

When Marie Demba looks back on her life, she sees a woman who loved celebrations, colourful dresses and spending freely. Ceremonies played an important role in her social life, and saving for the future was not yet a priority. Today, Marie still carries that same energy and love of life but she has learned to direct it towards a future of her own making.

Marie lives in Kartong, a coastal village in The Gambia. Her livelihood depends on the sea and the opportunities it brings. Over the years, she has collected oysters and cockles, sold firewood and worked at the village’s fish landing site. The work is physically demanding and unpredictable, but Marie has always found ways to earn an income and care for her children.

Her participation in Buzz Women’s Fangdema training marked a turning point. In just two half-days she began to look at her income, spending and future differently. The training helped her recognize that even a modest and irregular income could become the foundation for something greater if she made conscious decisions about how to use it.

Marie describes the experience as something that “makes her feel like a university graduate”. The knowledge gave her more than practical tools. It gave her a new sense of confidence and control. Instead of spending everything she earned, Marie began saving for herself and her children. Gradually, those savings grew and so did her belief in what she could achieve.

 

“The Buzz Women training makes me feel like a university graduate.”

 

Her determination eventually enabled her to buy a piece of land. For Marie that land represents much more than a financial investment. It is something she has built through her own work and choices: a tangible step towards greater security, resilience and independence. It proves that she can shape her future, even when her income changes from one day or season to the next.

That uncertainty is a constant part of Marie’s working life. She spends much of her day at the beach, waiting for the fishing boats to arrive at the landing site. When the oyster harvest was poor, Marie did not simply wait for the season to improve. She adapted. She shifted her attention to collecting, smoking and selling bonga fish and guitarfish. By responding to the opportunities available, she found another way to keep earning.

Her working days are long. Marie may remain at the landing site until late in the evening, sometimes waiting until ten o’clock for customers to buy her remaining stock. Only after the day’s fish has been sold does she return home to her family. The hours are unpredictable, but her purpose is clear: every sale helps her care for her children, strengthen her financial position and continue building towards the future she now sees for herself.

Marie’s transformation did not begin with a large investment or a sudden opportunity. It began with a spark: the realization that she could make different choices with what she already had. Through saving, adapting and continuing to work, she turned that realization into meaningful change.