Zakaria Fulera was born in a very poor family in a community called Buntanga, Wuba in the Northern Region of Tamale, Ghana. Her parents were unable to send her to school because of their extreme poverty. She was given out for marriage at a very young age. This deprived her of the opportunity of learning any trade. Because her husband was a farmer, she was always compelled to go with him to the farm and work.
As her family kept growing, their level of poverty kept increasing. Her children did not have any formal education. Zakaria wanted more for her children. She said,
“I want my children to be educated so they can get good jobs. To break the chain of poverty plaguing my family. It must start from me. I want to support my husband and help my children gain a proper education.”
So, Zakaria went searching for answers. She found Mentors Ghana and was excited about the classes and program that was offered. Having understood the concepts of self-reliance and other business management principles from the Mentors Ghana training, Zakaria decided to start a food selling business. It only took a small loan of around $110 USD to help her get started. She invested this loan into food commodities that neighbors and friends would want to purchase.
Zakaria now owns her own business and is excited about future growth. She is very happy and she has been able to send one of her kids to school. Zakaria’s aged mother has also come to stay with her. She feels grateful that she can support her mother along with her family. “We are living much better now, thanks to Mentors Ghana,” she says with a smile.
