Adutwumaa Realizes Her Dream House

Adutwumwaa in front of her house

When 55-year-old Adutwumwaa and her husband purchased a plot of land 15 years ago, they had no idea how they could ever construct a building on their plot.

Adutwumwaa, a mother of four from Bedabour in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, was running a small catering business which involved frying pastries and preparing porridge made from wheat for sale which brought her limited profit since her business was very small.

However, two years later, in the year 2010, her business took a  turn for the better when she received a loan of 50 GHC from the Micro Credit Scheme being run by Self Help International.

“I invested the loan in my business and expanded it. After I paid back my loan, I took a second loan of 100 GHC which I paid back again.”

Adutwumwaa is very happy about her house

Adutwumwaa said she has always been loyal in paying back her loans and kept on taking loans on a regular basis.

Due to the trust the scheme had in her, they were able to loan her bigger amounts of money and she in turn kept on expanding her business because her products were in high demand.

“The last time I took a loan from the Micro Credit Scheme, I asked for an amount of 3,500 GHC and I received it. Whenever I pay back my loan, I invest the rest of my profit in my plot by acquiring  building  materials.”

So little by little, over a period of 13 years, Madam Adutwumwaa and her husband gradually put up a seven-room house on their plot. The building is now almost complete and has been roofed.

However, as her catering business continued to grow, the demands of her business in terms of labor and inputs began to take its toll.

“The price of oil kept on rising as a result of inflation until it reached a point where my profits started to dwindle drastically and my catering business was no longer lucrative. In addition, the work involved was taking its toll on me; I realized I no longer had the strength to work as I used to so I decided to change my business.”

Adutwumwaa thus ended her catering business and purchased a fufu-pounding Machine at the cost of 1,500 GHC to start a second business of providing fufu-pounding services to members of the Bedabour Community.

Adutwumwaa with her fufu-pounding machine

“I am the only person with a fufu-pounding machine at Bedabour. I have customers coming to my shop to pound their fufu everyday with the exception of the short period when cassava is in short supply. It is only during this period that customers do not come daily.

She praised the Micro Credit Scheme for enabling her to build her dream house by supporting her with loans to expand her catering business and also to acquire a fufu-pounding machine and was confident that she will be able to put all the finishing touches to her house in due course.

She called on SHI to continue with the Micro Credit Scheme which has been of immense  support to  women in her community  since it has made a big impact on their lives.

Adutwumwaa also stressed the need for the scheme to increase the amount of loans being given to clients in view of the ongoing inflation in the country which has made the prices of goods and services very high.