Duha

WHO WE ARE

OUR VISION

Duha empowers women in Niger to become the bright morning light (duha) of their communities.

Duha invests in women who are motivated to break free from the cycle of dependency. By helping women defy barriers and achieve financial independence, Duha envisions creating women visionaries that their children and others in the community can look up to – creating a ripple effect to inspire others around them to believe they can do the same.

Duha partners with businesses that want to give meaning to their profits. Duha envisions an interconnected world where we lift each other up – where buying a scarf in NY means giving a woman in Niger a sustainable livelihood and hope for a brighter future for her children, and where businesses, too, feel empowered by the impact they are making – bringing purpose to their profits. Duha aims to infuse deep value and meaning with everyday business transactions to transform how we give and do business.

While our initial focus is in Niger, where we are perfecting our model, our ultimate goal is to expand to other countries in the region and globally based on need.

OUR STORY

Duha is a social enterprise founded by a former United Nations employee that used to live and work in Niger. Inspired by the immense impact $50 had on someone’s life, Lorelle had a strong desire to radically change how we lift others up, and that’s how Duha was born – to extend that opportunity to countless more women in need of a hand up.

Meet Our Team

Lorelle Yuen
Lorelle Yuen Founder, Executive Director & Board Chair
Lorelle Yuen is the Founder, Executive Director and Board Chair of Duha. She holds a Bachelors in Journalism and Certificate in Data Analytics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Masters in International Development and Certificate in Humanitarian Assistance from the University of Denver. She has over 12 years of experience working in the non-profit, international organization and governmental sector. She spent seven years working with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) where she was based in Switzerland, South Sudan and Niger as well as deployed globally to respond to armed conflict and natural disaster emergencies. Her areas of focus included camp management, displacement tracking and information management. She also serves as the Strategic Projects Lead at the NC Department of Health and Human Services where she leverages data and analytics to improve access to social services for NC residents in need. In her free time, she enjoys reading, being in nature and snowboarding.
Aicha Hassane
Aicha Hassane Operations Master
Coming soon
Kabirou Idrissa
Kabirou Idrissa Head of Operations
Kabirou serves as the Head of Operations for Duha. He has a Bachelors in Finance from The University of Central Arkansas and a MBA in International Finance from the American Intercontinental University. Kabirou oversees all aspects of Duha's operations, including client acquisition, client relations, zakat distributions, and Eid distributions. He also actively partakes in shaping Duha's strategies and goals. For the past six years, Kabirou is the Operations Team Leader at the International Organization for Migration (IOM). He oversees operations, manages budgets, coordinates refugee and migrant movements, and liaises with government officials, embassies and external partners like the UNHCR for resettlement. In his spare time, Kabirou enjoys spending quality time with his family, traveling, and exploring new destinations.

Meet Our board

Kawla B
Kawla B Board Secretary
Kawla serves as the Board Secretary. She holds a Bachelor's and Master’s degree in Molecular Biology with a minor in Chemistry from San Jose State University. With 12 years of experience working with various non-governmental organizations, she brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep commitment to community service. Her strong background in scientific research and extensive non-profit experience make her a valuable asset to the Duha team. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, hiking, writing children’s books, and finding joy in both the kitchen and the great outdoors. Her passion for storytelling allows her to inspire young minds and adds a creative touch to her life.
Tanvir Ahmed
Tanvir Ahmed Board Treasurer
Coming soon
Andrew Esposito
Andrew Esposito Board Member
Andrew is an accomplished marketing and sales leader, business advisor, and entrepreneur. An alumnus from North Carolina Central University, where he was Magna Cum Laude, he obtained a degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing. With more than 13 years of experience in highly productive industries and with well-known organizations, Andrew has developed social media marketing approaches and created standardized processes for technology companies across the US. With a proven track record of leading and coaching teams at hardware and software companies, Andrew continues to offer mentoring for students and young professionals in his local community.

OUR APPROACH

Duha aims to lift up the most vulnerable communities of women in Niger. By partnering with businesses and investing a portion of profits in helping women start their own businesses in Niger, Duha connects women across the globe to lift each other up.

Our Beliefs

We believe in making a profound impact in one person's life. Changing one person's life has the potential to create a ripple effect of positive impacts felt across the community for generations to come.

Way Of Thinking

We each have a responsibility as part of the global community to support and lift each other up. We connect women across the world and make it easy for you to do just that by doing what you do everyday.

Why We Are Different

Duha allows you to see and feel the impact you and your business are making. We connect you with the women you are supporting and give you the proof to trace your impact. Read more below to see what makes us different:

We cultivate genuine connections with each of our clients. Every client, along with their family, is more than just a name to us; they are integral members of our extended Duha family. We visit them in the comfort of their own homes and create a space where they feel at ease sharing their dreams, struggles, and aspirations. We aim to uphold this intimate bond, ensuring that each client feels valued and understood, never reduced to mere statistics.

Duha does not give handouts. We give a hand UP by helping our clients reach their full potential so they can become financially independent and resourceful to overcome life’s challenges.

Our services are holistic and provide clients not just with start-up capital for their businesses but also skills training and coaching to help them achieve a limitless mindset to believe there is no limit to what they can achieve.

Duha supports clients, not beneficiaries. We are intentionally shifting the mindset away from dependency towards empowerment.

Duha only works with serious and motivated clients. We select our clients based on three criteria: need, motivation, vision.

Duha offers interest-free loans tailored to the needs of its clients. We work closely with our clients to craft realistic payback plans. Our aim is to instill a sense of ownership and pride in their businesses while also providing on the job training on crucial concepts like accounting and savings. This empowers our clients who may not have had prior exposure to these concepts, fostering financial independence and confidence.

Duha’s end goal for each client is to help them break free from the cycle of dependency and reach ‘maturity’. Maturity means achieving stability in being able to afford food daily, establishing sufficient savings (and the habit to save) and embracing a limitless mindset to overcome life’s hurdles.

Translate »

Stay connected and be in the know about the latest with Duha – special announcements, impact stories and how other members are bringing purpose to their profits.

Join the Duha Community