Sylivestre is a shoemaker. In mid-2022, he began renting a space in the Shimwa Paul Commons because he wanted access to electricity. He began repairing shoes as he lacked the equipment necessary to manufacture new shoes. 

As part of our Leader Development program, he joined a savings group and as a tenant in our Commons has seen his daily income go up 30 percent. After just three months, he’d already saved enough to buy two pigs, and a shoe machine to grow his business.