Help Fund Women Farmers in Ghana

The name of my school, Ahobrase Academy, means "humility." In 1998, I had the idea to create a small nursery in my home. Day after day, I saw children aimlessly wandering the streets and not in the classroom. In Ghana, like many other places, getting an education is critical for success. So everyday when my husband left for work, I would secretly teach children from within my home. I would go into the community and invite children in, many who were hungry and unclothed.  Slowly I began to build a school that not only provides access to education but also offers children a safe place where they could bathe and eat. We became a family.

Over time, the number of students I was teaching outgrew my front porch and I knew I needed to find a new facility. I had dreams of expanding and improving what I was offering. And so six months after I first opened my doors to children in the community, I told my husband what I had been doing—and, to my surprise, he was supportive and encouraged me to pursue my dreams. 

With an introduction from a friend, I met with a loan officer from Opportunity International, applied, and received a school proprietor loan. In no time at all, I started with the foundation for a new building. I built a first story. And then a second. Every time Ahobrase Academy grew in size, so did the number of eager children waiting outside with a hunger for learning.

Today, Ahobrase Academy has more than 800 students from preschool through junior high. It amazes me and touches my heart to hear the children call me "Momma!" Everywhere I go they shout, "Momma! Momma! Momma!" We are a family and these are my children. Just like I dream for a better future for my four daughters, I have big hopes for my students—many of whom are now in college. And that is what I dreamed of—opening the doors to opportunity. 

Unfortunately, I did not go to college because I couldn't afford to. Like every parent, I saw many possibilities in my children and wanted them to succeed and have a brighter future. And that's exactly what they are doing. I am proud to say to say that all of my children are today attending University and pursuing careers they are passionate about. That's all any parent can ask for.   

Opportunity International gave us the resources to make these dreams a reality. When others would have denied me a loan, Opportunity International opened their doors and guided me through the process. Today, I am investing in my community, educating children, employing teachers, and looking toward the future where we will continue to expand and improve Ahobrase Academy.

My name is Comfort Appiah and I am proud to invest in education across Ghana. Thank you for helping to create brighter futures for children everywhere. Opportunity supports smallholder famers with agricultural finance tools and training to equip them to move from subsistence to commercial farming. Helping farmers increase their yields and productivity raises household incomes. This is crucial to ending hunger and supporting children's education. With your help, we provide financial services specifically tailored to the needs of farm families - ending the multigenerational cycle of poverty by allowing them to invest in their children's futures. 

Emelia George, Enyoman Hlordzi and Gladys Donu are three women farmers in Ada, an area two hours outside of Ghana’s capital Accra. In that area are small plots of land as far as the eye can see thanks to Opportunity's agricultural finance program. Emelia, Enyoman, and Glady's farms feature neatly planted rows of tomatoes, onions, and carrots. It takes a lot of effort to dig thousands of small holes and to place a single seedling in each one.

Opportunity loans have enabled these farmers to purchase irrigation systems, including an electrical pump and tubes (hoses), so they no longer have to carry buckets of water from the well to water the plants individually. There literally are not enough hours in the day to keep up with this backbreaking task. Instead, sprays of water shoot up from the black rubber tubes placed along the rows in these beautiful farms. And this scene is being repeated in six communities in Ada, where Opportunity serves 110 smallholder farmers, 55% of whom are women.

With irrigation, fertilizer, seed and manure purchased with the Opportunity loans you financed, Emelia, Enyoman and Gladys have expanded the size of their farms and the variety of crops they grow. They’ve received training which has helped them improve their farming methods. This has ultimately increased their crop production, their income and their ability to support their families. They also can afford to hire neighbors to help them clear more land and harvest their bumper crops.