Hadija is a 10 year old girl from northern Ghana. Her father passed away when she was much younger so now lives with her 5 brothers and sisters, and her mother, who she is incredibly proud of.
When her father passed away, Hadija’s mother had little way of making money and supporting her 6 children. In northern Ghana, communities rely almost entirely on subsistence farming which is often plagued by drought and very unreliable. She simply didn’t have the money for the uniform and school books that Hadija needed to go to school.
However, when she heard about Hope for Children’s micro-credit project in her community, Hadija’s mother sprung at the chance to train to become a shea butter producer and joined a Savings & Loans Group to learn how to save to support her family. Even this basic skill is a practise that simply has never existed in these communities.
When we asked Hadija how she felt about her mother’s new business, she told us:
“I’m very proud of her because not only is she doing her business but she always does dinner and looks after us and herself. When I see her, I feel proud that this is our mother; she’s a role model for me and my siblings.”
In addition to supporting her mother, Hope for Children also provided Hadija with the uniform and school books she needs to attend school, and she is also an active member in the children’s clubs that raise awareness about children’s rights, and particularly gender equality.
When she grows up Hadija wants to become a seamstress so that she can make uniforms for more children in her community. She remembers the first time she wore hers, which filled her with pride, and wants to make this a reality for more girls just like her.
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