It’s Always Darkest Before Dawn

Sadia's Story

 

By Anisha Patel

Sadia in her pharmacy                                                                       

Alimutu Sadia Ibrahim is the type of woman that immediately makes you feel welcome. She has a kind and inviting smile, but mischievous eyes that sparkle as she tells me her story.

Sadia tells me that her life has been hard. She has two daughters and her motivation in life now is to make sure that her daughters do not suffer as she did. Her daughter comes sidling in; a chubby toddler with a massive, toothy grin. As she lays her head on her mother’s lap you can see how much Sadia loves and dotes on her.

Sadia was married at 22 and I ask for her “How They Met story”. She tells me that her husband came to her house and pretended that he had seen her around town for a while and was besotted with her (in reality the first time he saw her was when he went to her house). At the time, Sadia already had a boyfriend so she ignored him, but his gentle persistence eventually won her over. The love between the two blossomed and two years later they had their first daughter.

Sadia’s husband, Adam worked as a teacher and later gained an admission to the University of Development Studies (UDS) when his daughter was 3 months old but the campus was far away so he had to leave his wife and daughter to begin his 4 year course. Unfortunately, his work was not supportive of his decision to go to University and not only did they stop his money, they erased his name so he could no longer work as a teacher. Adam did not receive support from his parents, so Sadia had to provide income for the family. She had dreams of becoming a nurse and going to nursing school but instead she had to work.

“That was when we experienced real life, with my first daughter” explains Sadia. “I had to work, carrying cosmetics with my baby on my back [in Ghana, women traditionally carry babies on their backs, tightly secured with material]. The more you go around the more you sell so I was backing my daughter and going around.”

Sadia took on more jobs,working at the youth employment centre until 1pm, then she would go and work on washing mosquito nets with repellent and ending the day by going around and selling cosmetics. All this was just to survive.

Sadia told me how she heard of an organisation called Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) which aims at helping young girls and women to get into  education and work. She applied for their Innovative Basic Programme. Around 14 girls from Tolon applied and there was 111 applicants in the district. Sadia was one of three to be selected from the district. At a national level, out of 91 women only eleven women were selected. Sadia was the tenth person picked.

“We were pioneers of that scheme. They gave us some business ideas and you could select one. They had a mobile health service, where you go around to the local villages on a bicycle. I was used to roaming and a lot of couples and girls I had met previously needed family planning and health care, so I decided to pick that business. I thought it would only be 3-4 months, not knowing it would be a long journey.

“There were three ladies who chose mobile health and CAMFED were impressed with us. I'm not a smooth talker but I work hard. They gave us money for accommodation, food, etc. in Tamale. I had to leave my daughter with my sister, in Tolon. We received about GHC600 (£105) per month. When I got the money I bought the computer for GHC250 for my husband to help with his studies. We supported each other. To survive, I collected money from my mother and brothers but I sent some of it to my sister, to help raise my daughter, and some of it to my husband. When they found out I was sending some of the money to my husband they were angry. My brother told me that my husband didn't love me and I shouldn't send him money. But I knew he loved me.

“I finished my course around the same time as my husband finished at UDS. My daughter was 4 years old. After completing, my husband had to complete his National Service [where citizens are expected to serve their country, e.g. by working for the government, a government approved company or in service of Ghana] in Bolga district [approximately 160 miles away from Tolon]. After he left, I realised I was pregnant with our second daughter.

At the time, I was applying for work in Tamale, hoping that someone would give me a chance. When I was one month pregnant I got a job in a pharmacy. I worked with him until I was about to deliver. The pay was low, about GHC220 per month, but I didn't have any choice but to work for him. I even didn't get paid for the last month because I had to leave 10 days early to give birth. To this day I am still waiting for my money and I will wait and see what God will do to him on Judgment Day. I would start work at 7am, do the sweeping and mopping. The boss’ sister also worked there, so she worked as the cashier. At 5pm I would sweep and mop again then I would go home, cook my dinner and sleep.”

After returning home and giving birth to her second child, Sadia received her Medicine Counter Assistance Training from CAMFED. But she was told that she would need further training to sell licensed medicine. She became interested in becoming a licensed medicine centre and separated from mobile health.

Sadia and her colleagues in India in the community where they stayed

“CAMFED gave three girls the opportunity to go to India for 10 days. They gave us money for everything but I saved it because I knew when I come back it will not be easy. When I returned I paid GHC150 for my license to be a licensed chemical seller  and I used GHC300 to buy stock for the store. The rest of the money I gave to my husband. The license was very hard to apply for. After I applied, I didn't hear from them for a year, despite chasing them constantly. In the second year I received a call to say that they could come and inspect the land I had for the store.

“After I had applied for my license, I immediately went to the Chief and told him my story. I asked him for help. I explained to him that I wanted to help and bring development to the community (because at the time, we only had one drug store)and he gave me the land for free. He also told me to call him when I was going to build my store. But he ran out of patience and called me and asked me why I hadn't built. I told him that I was still planning. The Chief said he would send me one boy to help build the store. When the boy turned up, he came with 10 bags of cement to build the store! Apart from the support from the Chief we didn't have anything, but this gave us the courage to build the store.

“Less than six months later, a heavy storm came and destroyed everything: the store was gone.

“By then, I had a call from the Pharmacy Council and I was told that I should come for my interview and exams. The fee was GHC150, so I thought ‘How do I get this money?’. My husband had also been saving during his National Service and so when they asked for the fee he quickly went and withdrew the money for me.

“When I went for the exams, my daughter was 4 months old, and my husband was looking after my daughter. So I went to take my exams, had my interview and came home.

“In January 2015, I told my husband that I would go to Tamale to work because my daughter was getting to one year old. I went back to Tamale and worked for a pharmacy because I didn't want to sit idle especially when we needed the money most to build the store. After working for four months the Pharmacy Council called me and told me that I had the approval to operate as a licensed chemical seller. But my store was not complete, so how could I start my business?

“So I went back to the Chief and told him that I had the approval letter to operate as a licensed chemical seller. The Chief told me he would support me by giving wood and zinc for the roof. By then my store had collapsed.

“I was sitting by the house one day when my friend was cycling past and he saw me. He stopped and asked me ‘I saw you were working at one pharmacy in Tamale, but you are not working there. Why have you stopped?’ So I told him that I came home to deliver and I didn't get the chance to get back. He told me that he had also heard information in town that I had come back to operate a drug store but he had not heard anything. I told him that I had the approval letter to operate, but when I built it a heavy storm collapsed it, so I don't know what to do. He asked me the things I needed and I told him that I needed sand, cement, etc. He said he would support me and give me the sand and 5 bags of cement. I called my brother, the one who said my husband didn't love me, and asked him for help. Some how he managed to pity me and he gave me 15 bags of cement. With this, I was able to re-build the store. Even to this day, the inside is not plastered but I am able to sell my drugs so I am happy with that!

“We were able to finish the store but now, how could I start my business? So in our training, CAMFED told us that if we were lucky, you could apply for a loan to start your business, and you can pay it off small small. So I called them and told them I had my approval letter but I didn't have money for my business. So they told me to apply for a loan for GHC2000 (£350) and I did so without delay.

“They told me to come for the money. They said they would give me GHC1500 for the store and then they would come and inspect the store. If they were satisfied, they would give me the rest.

“I bought some small things for my store, like a fan, lighting etc and also fitted the shelves, which were very expensive. They came to inspect the store and they were very happy.  They gave me the GHC500 but quickly realised that this would not be enough to stock my store. When I was working in my second Pharmacy I had he opportunity to buy the drugs when they ran low, so I knew that the money would not be enough.

“So I applied to another organisation called Health Keepers, who provide education on family planning, and at the end they will give you the products to educate people on family planning. I was a member and organiser in Tolon for this organisation so I called them and explained my situation: that I had my license; I had built my store and finished everything but I could not stock my store because my capital was not enough. So I wanted to see if they could help me stock my store and I could use the little money I had to buy other products for the store. They were happy with that and they gave me many products. They asked me the quantities that I needed and they quickly sent it to me. I then used the rest of the money to buy the rest of the stock.

“I started the store on Monday. My reason was because I was born on Monday so I was happy to open the store on Monday. I invited my brothers, family and a few friends to come to the opening. And that is how we started.

“Less than three months later, it was malaria season so the store had expanded. Almost every day I was going to Tamale to buy more products.

“I don't spend my money, I just use it to expand the business. I would take GHC1000 or GHC1200 and go and buy drugs from Tamale. In the seventh month of my business I took GHC1750 and went to the first store to buy some drugs. They didn't have enough drugs there, so I only bought GHC400 worth and I left the rest of the money on my lap. I went to a different store to buy drugs but the money was gone; I don't know what happened. That day I cried for a week. I cried as if God had forgotten about me. That was the time that I was trying to expand my business but I didn't know why God had done this to me.

“I had a lot of support from my family and friends. They told me that maybe this was how God was going to help me. My friends and family members gave me courage and consoled me. Within two months I was able to raise GHC1700, which I used to buy a fridge for my store and used that to expand my store.

“In my tenth month I was able to buy a new motorbike for the business for GHC3400.

“So now my husband has no job, but we are living life normally. My husband will get up and go to work or if I'm going to the store then by 6am I will be there. Then my husband will come and I will go home and cook for my children. If you watched us you would not know that he is not working. He didn't have cash to help but he supports me with his strength. Sometimes he will be there until 11 or 12pm. Sometimes if it rains and he cannot come home he will sleep in the store. But he is also praying to get a job.

“I'm still saving money because I do not want my daughters to suffer. I never want my daughters to experience what I did because life was hard.

“Now my prayers are that God should give us the strength to work, take care of the children and take care of ourselves. And that's all.”

Before I came to Ghana I was prepared to face certain challenges: difficulties with food (being a vegetarian); cultural differences and the struggles of living in a rural community that do not have access to the things that I take for granted as everyday essentials such as: running water, access to fresh food and, of course, internet. What I was not prepare for was to be inspired by the people I have met. Sadia taught me a lesson I'll never forget: Never Give Up. Even when it seems like the world is against you, you have to keep fighting because there is always hope. It's always darkest before dawn. 

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