Success Story: Joana’s Journey from Struggle to Entrepreneurship

Meet Joana Cassoneco, a 21-year-old young woman living in one of the slums of Luanda. Life has never been easy for her family. Her father is blind, and her mother earns a small income from dressmaking. Despite these challenges, Joana had a dream of building a better future for herself and her family.

In 2024, Joana was studying at Don Bosco School. Around the same time, she was doing a course in decoration at her neighbourhood training centre. One day, she met Mr. Garcia, the Principal of Dom Bosco Centre, who told her about an opportunity offered at the centre through the Young Africa Skills2Live programme, a programme that supports women in business with training and start-up capital.

Joana quickly applied and was selected. She attended a two-month training programme in 2024 under the Women in Business initiative. At that time, she was even struggling to afford transport to the centre, but she remained determined to complete the training.

Her persistence paid off. After completing the training, she received a grant of €158 to kick-start her business. With this support, Joana bought a banner to advertise her services in her neighbourhood, as well as decoration materials including a stand, platters, plastic lawn, and flowers. For her, it felt like a dream come true.

The business quickly began to grow. With the income she earned, Joana was able to pay for her own high school fees, support her younger sister’s education, and contribute to household expenses for her parents. Her monthly income, which used to be around €7.94, has now increased to between €216 and €431,95.

Beyond financial success, Joana has also built confidence through the life skills training she received. She is now able to make informed decisions about her sexual and reproductive health and rights. Inspired by her progress, she has started training other young people in her community. So far, she has trained five youth for a small fee, which helps her buy additional equipment for her business. Her younger sister has also joined in, supporting her during bigger events.

“Now, my neighbours respect me, and many young people in the community see me as a role model. In the future, I want to save more money and expand my business by studying hospitality, so I can also provide food for the events I decorate,” she says.

 

Thanks to her entrepreneurship journey, Joana is now able to manage her own finances, keep proper business records, and has even opened a bank account to safely save her income.