“The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you are afraid to do”
– Everyday Power
Ms. Segebon Sampana is a sixty (60) year-old widow with four sons, three of whom are married. Her last son just completed Senior High School (SHS). She is a member of the Dagliga Women Voice and Leadership group.
Madam Segebon says she is glad to be a member of the group and says the livelihood training, which was organized by the Widows and Orphans Movement (WOM) in partnership with Plan International Ghana and with funding from Global Affairs Canada has helped her a lot.
“We were advised that when the year ends, we should not spend all our savings from the village saving and loans Associates (VSLA) on house keep but invest in something that can yield some profit. I decided to invest my share in rice farming since it was the farming season and the family has a piece of land that has been left uncultivated for some years now. Though my savings was only two hundred and sixty Ghana cedis, (GH₵260.00) I was able to buy three (3) buckets of rice which cost one hundred and twenty Ghana cedis (GH₵120.00) for planting on my piece of land. The rest of the money was used to hire the services of a tractor to plough. At the time of planting, some of my group members helped me sow as well as harvest at no cost. I am overwhelmed with the harvest even though the rain Pattern did not favour farmers this year. I had two and a half bags of rice during the harvest. This will meet my family’s needs for the year. We are thirteen in the family.
I am happy about the turnout of my rice farm because this will be my contribution to the family and this has also helped me regain my self-worth”
– Ms. Segebon
Madam Segebon lives in the same house with all her sons, their wives, and children as is the common practice in most rural communities in the Upper East Region of Ghana.
It is usually expected that one’s children especially the first son will care for their parents. However, the current economic difficulties put too much strain on the children especially when they have new families of their own. Being dependent on her sons, especially during these economic downturns, made her unhappy. This also informed her decision to engage in rice farming as a way of supporting the family.
She added that she is getting all these benefits because she decided to apply what she learnt at the group’s meetings.
Read More Success Stories
- The Widow Who Dared to Ask for Her Daughter’s Dowry
- A Step To a New Income Source for Atampoka
- The power to sell or not to sell: 52 Years Old Widow Tells Her Story
- Richmond Discovers Cooking as a Life Skill
- Financial Inclusion of Persons with Disability is Possible
This was made possible through the support of PLAN International & Global Affairs Canada
