In the central part of Tamale, Ghana, within the bustling city center, among hundreds of busy stalls teeming with a variety of products for sale, you’ll find a grocery shop. It stands out a bit, maintaining a neater appearance and offering a better selection than the hundreds of other shops like it.

So, how does Christiana attract her customers from the throngs of people navigating the busy marketplace? The answer lies in Christiana’s heart, passion, and innate entrepreneurial skills.

To say that she started with nothing would be an understatement. Even worse than having nothing, Christiana grew up in extreme poverty. She attended primary school but had to leave when the cost of her uniform exceeded her parents’ means.

She held high hopes for a better life when she got married. However, by the time she had her third child, she found herself not only poor but also suffering at the hands of an unkind husband. Needing to escape, Christiana took an incredible risk by fleeing with her three small children.

She earned money by selling odds and ends wherever she could. Her innate entrepreneurial spirit and profound love for her children guided them through thick and thin.

Then, one day, she was presented an opportunity which would change her life and her children’s future. A friend introduced her to Sinapi Aba Savings & Loan. After waiting for her breakthrough for many years, one small loan became a beacon of hope that altered everything.

In 2000, Christiana borrowed her first loan of 50 Ghanaian cedis, subsequently using the loans to purchase better products at lower prices. The results were nearly immediate, as new customers flocked to her shop, enticed by the variety she offered

Her profit margin expanded rapidly because she leveraged her newfound purchasing power to buy in bulk.

Over the years, her business evolved from a folding table on the roadside to various market stalls and eventually to the lovely market shop she now runs, which she established with her last loan of 40,000 cedis.

Her children have long since grown and become the first in their community to attend university. Christiana radiates with pride and contentment because she knows they are well-equipped to support their children and even her in her later years.

She acknowledges that her poverty was harsh, but it has undoubtedly ended with this generation.

The God-given loans and savings accounts offered by Sinapi Aba were the light at the end of her tunnel.

Christiana remains unstoppable. She cares for two children who belong to her sister, stepping in when their mother could no longer provide for them. She is committed to seeing all of the children receive a formal education and imparting entrepreneurial skills to them. 

With a smile and laughter that resonated throughout the bustling marketplace, Christiana shared her story with us. She learned, earned, and saved her way out of poverty—for good.

Christiana is opportunity.