Transforming lives: Ayishetu’s story

Ayishetu and three of her sons

Through micro loans, Ayishetu, a beneficiary of SHI micro-loans is able to change her social status; she can live a decent life and provide medical care, food, clothing, shelter and education for her family. Ayishetu’s story is one of many successes of the SHI micro-finance program.

THE TRANSFORMATION

Ayishetu is a 55-year old married woman with four children. She is a native of Timeabu in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, where she works with her husband on farming and has started up her own petty trading businesses. Thanks to her hard work, dedication, and some support from Self-Help, she is achieving her dream for her children to live better lives and achieve better economic status than she was able to.

Ayishetu’s previous house

Before meeting Self-Help, Ayishetu was a farmer, and all six family members lived in a single room thatched house. Privacy was a luxury and her children could hardly do any private studies after school. School grades were bad. They had one treated bed net to sleep under to prevent malaria, but the congestion in the bedroom made it impossible to use. Malaria was common among her children and she spent many otherwise productive hours at the clinic seeking treatment for a sick child instead. This had adverse effects on her income.

Ayishetu joined the SHI micro-loans program in 2012, and is currently on her fifth loan of GHC 350 ($100) to be repaid over six months. After completing the training in 2012, she received her first loan of GHC 150 ($42), which she used to add petty trading on to her farming business as an additional source of income. Subsequent loans went to expand the business, and profits invested in children’s school fees and to build a new house.

Her new home, a two-bedroom house, is coming up fast. One bedroom is ready and occupied. With this, she hopes to improve the health, safety and comfort of her family.

Ayishetu’s new home!

Ayishetu’s three oldest sons have been able to successfully complete apprenticeships in mechanics, masonry and electric work. The oldest of Ayishetu’s sons is 26 years and lives in Tarkwa in the Western Region of Ghana. The three younger ones live with her at Timeabu. The second son, with his expertise in masonry provided free labour for their new house. Her youngest son is fifteen and in junior high school class 1 (7th grade). In the new house, he will have space to do private studies and better his grades. There is joy in the house of Ayishetu.

Though Ayishetu is making some progress, there are still challenges confronting her. She tells SHI that as she travels on foot from one community to another selling her ware, rain occasionally comes unannounced and walking long distances is having adverse consequences on her aging feet. However, she is not overly disturbed and believes that nothing good comes easy. She is ready to work even harder to make life better for herself and her family.