Empower 600 Women in Ghana with Microcredit Loans

Erica gives hope to Jessica

Akua Erica, 37 and a mother of three, became a beneficiary of Self-Help's Ghana Micro Credit program in 2009. She was a hairdresser and had witnessed improvement the program had made in the lives of her community members.

One late afternoon in 2009 she pleaded with the leader of Adom group who allowed her into their group. Erica used her loan to purchase wig/weave-on, which attracted more customers to her salon. Her savings went up in a matter of months and living conditions of her family also improved. She has taken 3 loans so far. Today Erica and her family no longer live in a single room. They live in a chamber and a hall (2-room apartment). She purchased a good used double door refrigerator which she plans to use to sell ‘ice-water’. In recounting benefits derived from becoming a member of the program this is what she had to say;

 “....my greatest joy from joining the program is my ability to provide health care and support for Jessica..”  Jessica is Erica’s second child, 4 years old and suffers from Autism. Erica and her baby move from one health center to another in search of a cure. “...at first Jessica could not do a thing on her own, but now she is able to feed herself...I am confident she will continue to improve....”