Veronica’s First Home of Her Own

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Veronica enjoying her success

Veronica is a fifty-seven-year-old mother of five living in Kwaso village in the Ashanti region of Ghana. Even though Veronica is from a poor background, she is very hardworking and a highly motivated woman, and is proud that even as a single mother, she has been able to provide for her five children.

Before joining Self-Help’s micro-credit program in 2012, Veronica’s life story was unfortunate. She worked many jobs to make ends meet. She prepared and sold kenkey (a local Ghanaian dish made from corn dough), and also worked as a farmer, cultivating maize, cocoyam, cassava and plantain. However, all her businesses were on a small scale. She did everything by herself with little support from anyone. Her husband was initially helpful, but his health deteriorated due to excessive intake of alcohol and they soon divorced. Lacking access to formal banking, Veronica’s sources of funding were savings and loans from friends and business partners. Despite being a farmer, Veronica didn’t grow enough maize to support her kenkey business. She had to buy maize on credit and return to pay for it after the sale of her own kenkey or farm produce, which meant she had to pay a higher price than if she could afford to purchase the maize outright at the time of purchase. She did her best to earn enough to support her two daughters and three sons.

Then four years ago, Veronica’s life changed. Thanks to business training and loans from Self-Help, she was able to expand her business. Whereas before she could only afford the supplies to prepare kenkey once a week, she now prepares kenkey as many times a week as she had demand from her customers, and enjoys greater income as a result. Additionally, Veronica is able to use her loans to purchase maize and farm inputs outright with cash, rather than on credit, saving her money in the long run.

Talking with Veronica about the changes in her life

The results of this business expansion have impacted Veronica’s family in so many ways. Thanks to her sacrifices and support, Veronica children have achieved self-sufficiency. They will not face the same struggles she did. Her two daughters are married now, her sons are also working in professional jobs; two are teachers in Accra (the capital city) and one is a skilled electrician.

On top of all of this, after renting a house in deteriorating condition for most of her adult life, Veronica has purchased her own land and is now building a two-room home using profits from her business earnings. With her next loan, she will add a roof to her new home. She is proud of herself concerning how far she has come, and told us,

“It is my fervent prayer and hope that the benefits of this micro-credit program be extended to many more women, to put smiles on their faces too.”

Veronica is forever grateful to you for your support!