By Cole Hoover | Project Leaders
This past spring our communities in rural Ghana were hit by a devastating natural disaster which created changes that affected the lives of many of the clients our program serves. Massive flooding and coastal storms created large waves that wiped out many of the local coastal roads that these isolated villages use as their primary means of transportation.
Many of the residents living along the coast are a part of the Lumana program. With their main road to market washed away, groups were cut off from their regular customers and forced to sell their goods for lower prices at their smaller, less frequented local market. For some, this tragedy could have meant losing their home or shop and being forced to relocate. While we were encouraged to hear how Lumana's savings program and business training helped many individuals to better cope with the situation, we were forced to re-evaluate our approach to serving those who were affected by the missing road.
After carefully studying the situation and working closely with local leaders in the area, the Lumana team decided to focus our resources on our most successful entrepreneurs who have proven their ability not only to sustain a business through difficult times but also to create jobs in the process. With your help this September we were able to raise $5,671 that we are putting towards larger loans for rural women leaders who are prepared to lead their communities out of disasters like this one and into safety. By providing larger loans, additional business training and mentorship to a smaller group of high performing clients, Lumana envisions continuing to reach more people through the assistance in creation more stable jobs for the area.
An example of one of our clients who has stepped up and answered the call to lead her cooperative members is an amazing woman named Senaki Awulor:
Senaki was a part of our first class to receive loans in the remote village of Dzita and she immediately distinguished herself as both an excellent student and a strong example for the community. Her leadership of a fish-mongering cooperative called Dzorgbenuie has enabled the group to thrive, even in the face of a natural disaster.
Dzita proper is situated squarely on the beach and business fluctuates with the ebb and flow of the fishing seasons. Most of our clients in the area make their money directly from the sea, and those who don't are still affected by the regular changes in the economy. Senaki took great interest in the sections of our business training about seasonality and savings and immediately began applying the teachings to her business.
When a storm destroyed the road to Dzita last spring, Senaki had already established herself as a strong leader. She rallied her cooperative every week and the group maintained perfect attendance and stayed current on their loans. Most impressively her group managed to save beyond our program's required amount even in the face of drastically increased transportation times and costs.
The Dzorgbenuie cooperative is now on its second loan cycle. Senaki continues to be a strong voice in the community and her business continues to thrive (including the creation of 2 new jobs in the area) despite the difficult conditions.
Stay tuned for a video interview of Senaki and more coverage of the transportation situation in Dzita.
Happy Holidays and thank you for all your support!
The Lumana Team
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