Personal stories
Apenusi Asisigo
I used to travel to urban areas to street hawk and leave my children but now, I go to work at ASIGE basket centre from Monday to Friday, I have time for my children and earn income. This has liberated me from hunger and migration to cities in search for employment.
Sandra Adongo
My name is Sandra Adongo, the group leader of ASIGE women at Bongo, ASIGE provided me and my colleagues with skills, training and the opportunity to become financially independent to cater for our families and our communities.
Gifty's Story
Weaving a New Life Through Vocational Skills
The transformative power of vocational skills is vividly brought to life through the story of Gifty Atampoka, a 27-year-old woman from the Bongo district in Ghana's Upper East Region.
Gifty's early life was marked by hardship. Having lost her father at a young age, she was sent to Accra at just 13 years old to work as a house girl, an experience that forced her to drop out of school. Her circumstances worsened as she later found herself selling oranges on the Mallam Junction highway, often sleeping on the streets of Kaneshie. Desperate for a new path, she eventually returned to Bolgatanga with the hope of learning a trade and finding a way forward.
Tragically, at 17, Gifty was forced into marriage due to an unplanned pregnancy. The marriage was abusive, and she eventually found the strength to leave. It was at this critical juncture that ASIGE intervened, offering Gifty a lifeline through our Vocational Skills Training Programme.
She chose to learn textile weaving, a skill that has since transformed her life. Today, Gifty is not only a thriving entrepreneur with her own successful business but she also employs three other individuals within her community. She earns approximately USD 300 monthly from her trade, and with her renewed sense of hope and capability, she now aspires to grow her business internationally.
Gifty's journey is a powerful example of how practical skills and timely support can empower young women to overcome immense adversity, become self-sufficient, and create opportunities for others, driving positive development in their communities.
