When Poverty and Empowerment Collide

 

.	Diana Foriwaa with one of her children at work on her farm in the Nsuta community of Ghana

January 13, 2009 was a day that the Foriwaa family will never forget. After an unexpected and short illness, their wife and mother, Diana, passed away in the Nsuta rural community of Ghana. Sudden death is a daily plague of the poor throughout Africa, but what makes Diana’s story especially compelling is the scope of the tragedy that will be felt in the Foriwaa family.

You see, Diana had applied some time ago for a micro-enterprise loan from GBA and its partnering organization in Ghana, AAP. In fact, as a member of the Nsuta Methodist Loan Group 1, Diana’s faithfulness in repayment had made her a model client. And for Diana, this loan was necessary.

 

Although Diana’s husband was an educated man, a school teacher by training, strong drink had become his current passion, and also the undoing of his family’s financial security. As day after day of idleness passed for Diana’s husband, the realization hit Diana that her family would soon starve without her direct intervention. With ten children, four in primary school and only a few of them no longer dependent upon their mother and father, Diana knew that she had to act quickly.

 

With the micro-enterprise loan granted to Diana, she was able to start a small farm which quickly became profitable. In short order, Diana was providing for all the family’s financial needs — for everything from food and clothing to tuition for the schooling of her children. Thus, with Diana’s sudden passing on January 13th, the threat of certain abject poverty that had been averted due to Diana’s hard work once again became reality for the Foriwaa household.

Regrettably, Diana’s hard work was not enough to secure the future financial well-being of her family. But, she did model for her children how to effectively navigate the road to success. With the help of GBA, two of Diana’s older daughters will now be trained and given the chance to start their own cosmetology businesses. Both daughters have agreed to accept their younger siblings into their lives by providing for their future needs from their business profits. In addition, GBA will provide educational scholarships for the younger children.

 

Diana passed away just days before her loan repayment was due. Many in the micro-finance community would see this as simply another loan default. GBA sees this as an opportunity to build on Diana Foriwaa’s legacy of success. And we believe that Diana would be proud to see her children following in her entrepreneurial footsteps.

 

Empowerment, hard work, and compassion all work together to create a powerful, poverty-smashing tool. That tool is GBA. Thank you for your trust in our efforts as demonstrated through your financial giving this month.