Stories tagged with Ghana

Jul 7, 2019 GH Ghana

Like so many others in Ghana, Abigail got a loan for her provisions shop. Like so many others, she wanted to buy products that increased her profit so she could make more money. She was trying to save enough money to enroll in university.  Okay, so the last part is a bit different.  But that’s just one of the many qualities that make Abigail unique.

Abigail's story involves broken homes, dreams of helping kids, perseverance, faith and unparalleled determination.

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Sep 9, 2017 GH Ghana

Meeting with Kiva borrowers is a privilege that I have had the opportunity to enjoy multiple times since I have landed in Africa. Oftentimes, their stories, professional or personal, have made me forget the initial reason for my visit. Every single story has something special, and you never know what to expect until you arrive at their home, sit on a wobbly seat and start listening. Whether they are touching, inspiring, heartbreaking or promising, stories always move me deeply.
 
My name is Victor, a Kiva fellow based in Cape Coast, Ghana, and I wish to introduce you...

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Dec 12, 2016 GH Ghana

I can still remember feeling overwhelmed the first time I made a Kiva loan. So many options, so many deserving Kiva borrowers — where to begin? I didn’t have a preference on region, country, or loan type, but I did know with certainty that I wanted to lend to a woman. 

 

 

Microlending was...

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Nov 11, 2016 GH Ghana

Call it fate, divine intervention, or mere coincidence, life sometimes — quite unexpectedly — gives you exactly what you need at just the right time.

 

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Sep 9, 2016 GH Ghana

There are not many things I will get up at 4:30 a.m. for, but as it turns out, the chance to attend a Dagomba Outdooring ceremony is one of them.

I had been invited by my housemate, a former Peace Corps volunteer who has lived in Ghana for seven years. A week earlier a new baby had been born to her host family, so when she invited me to spend a day in the village, I jumped at the chance. Since arriving in Ghana two weeks earlier to begin my Kiva fellowship I hadn’t seen much beyond the city of Tamale, and...

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Mar 3, 2016 GH Ghana
For those of you who have never had Ghanian cuisine (and I'm sure there are many of you) there are three main things you should know about Ghanian cuisine:
  • It is mostly starch (rice/plantain/cassava/maize/yam etc)
  • The portions are large enough to feed a small army
  • I don’t love it
  • The main component of Ghanaian dishes is the starch, and there are not many vegetables.  Starch usually makes up more than 70% of the meal and often is the name of the dish, even though there are other components.  The starch is either made of rice,... Continue Reading >>
    Feb 2, 2016 GH Ghana
    Last week I met the ladies of Sorlimor Group in Chorkor, an overpopulated fishing area in Greater Accra.  After numerous tro tros (three in two hours!) the loan officer and I finally arrived at the meeting spot (for more information on tro tros; what they are and what it is like riding them, see Kadri’s blog entry here).

    At the moment, I am working with ID Ghana (a Microfinance institution that partners with Kiva) who mainly disburse group loans in Accra.  Issuing a loan in a group...
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    Oct 10, 2015 GH Ghana
    I arrive at the group meeting spot, where approximately 60 women are gathered on a shady verandah. They start waving in surprise when they see me, and call out melodious greetings. “You are welcome, you are welcome.”

    Today is loan disbursement day, where these two groups will receive their requested loan amounts from Grameen Ghana, a microfinance institution based in northern Ghana with a focus on providing group loans to financially underserved women borrowers in rural northern communities. Under the group loan model, the loan is guaranteed by the members through social... Continue Reading >>
    Nov 11, 2014 GH Ghana
    Life under a mosquito net is anything but ordinary; it’s extraordinary. You may think of it as simply an encased existence for the sole purpose of rest without interruption from animals (I would say insects, but that doesn’t include reptiles) that have the potential to disturb your sleep or pass along potential ailments…but it’s so much more than that.

    A Life of Royalty

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