Victoria Joseph, AccessBank Liberia
Even as a small girl, Victoria knew she would become a big businesswoman one day.
Everything I put my hand into will just work out.
By Abenaa Addai
Even as a small girl, Victoria knew she would become a big businesswoman one day. Victoria could hardly wait to complete school to fully dedicate her time to selling. In 2003, whilst still at high school, she started her own business, buying slippers from the Fulani to sell them on the local markets. She saved the surplus in a Susu (savings) Club. She soon got together 300 USD, and she set out to neighboring countries to purchase merchandise which she sold back home. Today she successfully runs her business of selling women’s, men’s and child wear: “Everything I put my hand into will just work out, especially business. I really love to do it”.
Because of the pandemic, she no longer travels to China to purchase her merchandise but has switched to ordering online, which works just as well. Her sales are slowly recovering.
Victoria has invested her profit into recreational real estate: She is running a guest house, an entertainment club and a swimming pool, which generate income and diversify her business activities. Her hotel is in the finishing stage. For now, she is paying back her fourth loan at AccessBank and says: “I was then able to pay my (four) children’s school fees and I even got my older brother’s twins living with me. Through AccessBank I am able to pay their school fees too. They (AccessBank) understand me and know whatever I need from them.“