Today Azara has a big smile on her face.
Yet, when we first met Azara, she was very discouraged. She could not afford to send her children to school, her small roadside stand was falling apart, and she couldn’t afford to feed her family three meals a day.
When Mentors International first started coming to her small community of Kpendua in Ghana. Our mentors encouraged her to enroll in our self-reliance and business mentoring programs. Azara was determined to improve her family’s situation and didn’t miss a lesson. She was even bringing her baby with her to group meetings. Azara has eagerly applied the lessons of records, products, promotions, time management, and more. Azara took action to improve her business. She put forth the time and dedication to make a change in her life.
Azara is the only one in her community that makes and trades doughnuts. She is improving her product and adding new varieties and flavors. After training, she qualified for a micro-loan of about $150, which she invested in her store. She sells general commodities in addition to her doughnuts. Now women in her village can shop close to home, buying necessities as soon as they need them.
Azara wants to be prepared if difficult times occur in her future. Over the last three months, she has saved about $3.50 each week. She has also grown her business and hired a neighbor to help at her shop. In addition, Azara plans on enrolling her oldest child in school for the next semester.
