“I’m going to the boutique.”

Normally when you hear the word “boutique” in America the first thing that probably comes to mind is a high-end store with luxury items. Here in West Africa, a boutique is just a small convenience store…and they are everywhere! There is even one right next door to us. Most are a bit like a counter service general store, that stocks items which families need on a daily basis. The cool thing about Africa is that the lack of “red tape” and over-regulation means that anyone can be an entrepreneur and run their own shop. In fact many people build their houses with a boutique on the ground floor. These types of boutiques can be found in every neighborhood. Literally anywhere that you could live in our city will have at least one boutique within walking distance.

Last month, the shopkeeper at our next door boutique shared the news that he would be leaving to go work in the cashew fields. At first I was worried that his boutique might close since he had let his inventory dwindle down to almost nothing. However after we returned from a weekend away, we found that the boutique was still open and being run by a new shopkeeper. To our surprise this new shopkeeper brought in a whole bunch of new items, and even added an upright fridge with yogurt and butter! I was beyond thrilled! What a blessing!