Akua had a thriving hairdressing salon in the Ashanti region of Ghana. Since December 2019 she had been growing her business through a small loan and applying the knowledge and skills gained from our financial training programme. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.  With many customers staying at home as a result, Akua’s income dropped dramatically.

She started to struggle.

She could no longer service her loan repayments.

She could no longer pay her shop assistant in the salon.

She could no longer provide regular meals for her husband and five children. 

She needed to act.

Akua’s entrepreneurial spirit kicked in. Seeking out new opportunities to provide for her family, she quickly decided to sell gari, a local flour made from cassava within her neighbourhood. It is a local commodity that is used in every home, every day. She knew that there would always be a market for it, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. By selling it, she could provide an income for her family to meet their basic needs. She sells her gari in the morning and opens the salon in the afternoon for the few customers who visit her shop as lockdown restrictions ease. 

Although the gari sales don’t bring in as much, it enables her to support her family as well as the shop assistant who depends on her. Akua has also been given additional time to pay off her loan, easing the pressure and helping her focus on meeting her immediate needs.

Akua has the spirit and determination of an entrepreneur. She is not alone. Her grit and focus is evident in all of our clients. 

THANK YOU for helping us help them as they adapt and innovate, especially during these challenging times. 

Akua works with a client in her salon. 

 Akua preapares for a morning of gari sales. 

Photos courtesy of Sinapi Aba Savings and Loan (2020)