Adama Diop is a young Senegalese man living and studying in Montreal, Canada. The impetus for his journey to Canada was a defining moment in his own leadership. Adama explains: “The most significant experience that has shaped me as a leader is when I went in my village in 2008 to meet all the community stakeholders' and organizations to discuss community issues and find solutions together. I wanted to do something for my community. Through that process, I founded Pellital Microfinance Institution.”

Pellital Microfinance Institution is an online micro lending platform that helps the entrepreneurial women of the sub-Saharan village of Agnam-Goly to start or grow their small businesses.

Women in rural Senegal struggle to participate or generate economic activity to care for their families and contribute to their communities. Many women wish to start small businesses (i.e. selling products like fish, clothing, produce or providing services such as tailoring and hairstyling) as a means to end that struggle. Often traditional financial institutions will not lend money to them. Adama sought to address this need through the selection and distribution of micro loans. Once, an entrepreneurial woman is selected as a loan recipient, the Pellital team helps her in the successful planning or expansion of her small business.

With four years under its belt, Adama has been able to evaluate the impact of his small yet significant loan institution. The verdict is that Pellital is making difference in Agnam-Goly through the creation of sustainable self-employment and economic autonomy for women.

Since 2008, 28 entrepreneurial women were funded and got their small businesses started or expanded. Of that number, 27 have survived which translates into a 96% success rate. As a result of the increase in these entrepreneurs’ incomes, Pellital generated nearly 135 indirect beneficiaries.

Through the Pearson Fellowship and the seed grant of $1,000 USD, Adama was not only able to provide loans to 10 more entrepreneurial women but also contributed partially in funding his trip to the Agnam-Goly village toward the development of a promotional video. Additionally, Adama worked with one of TakingITGlobal’s social innovation partners, Start Some Good, to establish a profile on their social enterprise-oriented crowd funding site of each active entrepreneur and collect online donations from supporters.

In early 2013, Adama was able to broker an important new partnership for Pellital with MEC Felo - a well-established micro-finance institution in the area where Pellital holds its own local bank account. MEC Felo will provide necessary human resources support to address one of the challenges Pellital has faced in past years. Now, all Pellital clients are monitored and managed using best practice in the field of micro-finance.

Adama invested every moment he could in his experience in the Pearson Fellowship. He had several specific goals before starting including “benefiting from the tools that will be provided so I ensure the growth of my project” and “to learn and get inspired by other social innovators, my peers and program staff”. Adama credits TakingITGlobal and the Pearson Fellowship program staff with helping him “to be a more realistic and accomplished social entrepreneur”.