Aku

Aku, 45 years old, lives with her husband and their eight children around the Kakum National Park. All of her children, except one that has graduated, are still in school. She and her husband support their children through their farming business, namely cocoa and foodcrops. However, Aku wanted to complement her incomes with an additional source, and thus when the Microsfere project started in her area, she decided to join and start a petty trading business.

She sells foodstuffs, such as gari (local delicacy made from cassava), roaster groundnuts, sugar, powedered milk, etc.

She has participated so far to three loan cycles, and would like to continue, since she wants to expand further her business in order to support her 8 children. Thanks to the Microsfere loans she has managed to make savings, even though in the last year or so, she has not been able to sell as much as she would have liked, due to the much higher product prices; her loan amount is relatively limited, and does not allow her to buy a very big stock.

Aku told us that she would like to continue with the Microsfere project until all her children have finished school.