How families in need pay it forward in Ghana

By William Anim-Dankwa, CCFC communications manager, Ghana

Find out how village-savings-and-loan programs are revitalizing communities

“I used to go to school without eating,” six-year-old Nashira tells me. “This gave me a lot of pain in my stomach.” She looks up at her mom shyly. “Sometimes, I followed classmates and begged for food. My mother didn’t like it. I couldn’t help it. I was hungry.” Nashira looks back at me and grins. “Now, I don’t worry about what to eat.”

It can be hard to imagine how a single gift can change a life. But, in Ghana, I’ve seen it many times.

Thanks to thoughtful people like you who gave through our Gifts for Good catalogue, I saw 87 crop farmers enrolled in a village-and-savings-loan association (VSLA) each receive a flock of three goats.

The VSLA members, including Nashira’s parents, have suffered severe hardship in recent years due to erratic rainfall and drought. The goats provide a secondary source of income and are an excellent source of protein.

Since the goats were distributed, they’ve reproduced. Twenty-nine new VSLA members have each been given three baby goats from the litters — the foundation of a herd. So far, 687 children have directly benefited.

Twelve-year-old Abdul’s (pictured) mother received three goats. It came at a time when Abdul wanted to drop out of school. He was ashamed of his tattered and patched school uniform and taunts from his classmates.

“One day I found a uniform in my room,” Abdul tells me smiling. “When my mom said it was mine I had tears in my eyes. That night I slept holding the new uniform, eager to go to school and show my friends.”

About Children Believe

Children Believe works globally to empower children to dream fearlessly, stand up for what they believe in — and be heard. For 60+ years, we’ve brought together brave young dreamers, caring supporters and partners, and unabashed idealists. Together, we’re driven by a common belief: creating access to education — inside and outside of classrooms — is the most powerful tool children can use to change their world.

 

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