Erica is like any other 12 year old girl; she enjoys spending time with her friends and dreams about her future — when she leaves school she wants to become a doctor.
But Erica lives in Adansi, in the Ashanti region of Southern Ghana. Here, the majority of girls her age don’t have the opportunity to become doctors and fulfill their ambitions. Poor health (diarrhoea and cholera are prevalent due to unclean water) and lack of adequate sanitary facilities at school often mean that girls miss school and eventually drop out. They become trapped in a cycle of poverty.
Thankfully for Erica her school principal, Madame Beatrice, is giving her hope. Madame Beatrice started a local community school to provide a low-cost quality education to children in her community who were unable to access state education. With a loan, training and support from Opportunity International Beatrice built toilets and a well to provide clean water so that her students' health would improve. Since installing these facilities, students are staying in school longer and working hard to gain the qualifications they need to get successful jobs and life themselves out of poverty.
We used to have to go outside to fetch water but now we have a well in the school so I feel safer. We also only had one toilet, but after Madame Beatrice went to Opportunity International we now have better toilets and more of them."
Erica
Madame Beatrice has not just provided a clean and healthy environment for Erica to learn and excel but she has inspired her. She has taught her that women can be independent, run successful businesses and have the ability to reach their dreams.
One simple opportunity to invest is having a life-changing impact.
By reinventing our financial services to meet the targeted needs of communities in Africa and Asia, we are enabling poverty’s hold to be broken.
Opportunity International’s innovative water and sanitation programme in Africa provides tailored loans and training that will enable men and women to sustainably invest in and improve their basic living conditions, enhance their income and provide a better future for their family.
Just £160 could provide 75 school children with access to a toilet for a year.
£50 could teach 25 children about basic hygiene practices.
£90 could train 90 clients in budgeting, maintenance and hygiene.
£160 could provide 75 school children with access to a toilet for a year.
