A GNA feature by Gilbert Azeem Tiroog
Gane (U/E), March 25, GNA- It is often said that “man must not live by bread alone,” yet, in the harshest of circumstances, a person will go to great lengths to secure even the most basic need.
For 46-year-old Madam Kugre Yenbila, her daily pursuit of survival involves more than just putting food on the table. It is a struggle that requires resilience, determination and a will to keep pushing forward for the sake of her five children.
The struggle for survival
Madam Yenbila resides in the Gane community of the Nabdam District in the Upper East Region. Widowed five years ago, she found herself faced with an unimaginable burden: to care for and provide for her five children without the help of a husband or partner.
Her story is quite a strong one, and the harsh reality many women like her face in rural Ghana. In such places resources are limited, opportunities are scarce and survival is an ongoing battle.
Before the tragic loss of her husband, Kugre’s life, though challenging, had a pulse. Her husband, a hardworking farmer, was the breadwinner of the family, while she played a vital role in ensuring their household ran smoothly with her shea butter business.
The sudden loss of her spouse left Kugre devastated, and the burden of caring for five children, each with their own needs, dreams and aspirations was not only overwhelming but ripped off the capital of her business.
“The day my husband passed away, I felt as if the ground had opened beneath me, it was as though I had lost everything. But life had to go on. I have children who depend on me, and I knew I had to find a way to survive.
“The saddest part is even that my last born does know what it means to have a father because I was seven months pregnant of him when my husband died”, Madam Yenbila narrated her ordeal to the Ghana News Agency in an interview.
Without support to continue her shea butter processing business, Kugre turned to the forest and mastered the craft of climbing trees for support. Firewood became her lifeline. She began collecting firewood from the surrounding forests, bundling it and selling it in local markets to put food on the table daily.
“I don’t cut down trees, I only depend on the dry branches and dead trees but even with that some people still chase me away from trees that are in their farmlands and in some instances allow me to harvest the firewood and we share it equally,” she narrated
She indicated that given financial support, she would revive her shea butter business to support her children’s education.
Madam Kugre said: “My first daughter is learning hairdressing, my second and third sons are doing galamsey and are not in school nor learning any trade, but my fourth and fifth born are in Basic Four and One respectively.
“So, if I am given any financial support, I will revive my shea butter business to support them further their education, she emphasized
Madam Kugre’s story is not different from Sampampoka Zoya, a 52-year-old mother of three from the Zanlerigu community, also in the Nabdam District who crack stones to cater for her family as she is also without a husband.
“Life is not easy, a trip of stones for a tipper truck is sold at GH₵700.00 which is good but it sometimes takes me more than a month to get a trip because the stones are not that available and the harsh weather won’t also allow me to work all day,” she also shared her ordeal with the GNA.
According to her, it is very challenging for women, particularly those of them in the informal sector without any handwork.
She said: “It is very tough to say the least, as an illiterate, if you don’t have any skill and you are widowed just like me then you are doomed, so I advise the younger ones to take clue of my situation and learn a trade. My first son for instance has completed secondary school but cannot do it further because of our financial situation.
She emphasized that given the needed support, she would venture into the sale of foodstuff to support her children education, adding “my second born too has completed Junior High school and the third born is in JHS one and if I get any support, I will go back into the sale of foodstuff to support them”.
The physical labour of cutting, gathering and transporting firewood from remote areas is demanding and digging and cracking stones often requiring hours of effort in the heat of the day could be overwhelming, but for Kugre and Sampampoka, it is the means to earn a living.
Madam Beatrice Saa, the President of the Widows’ Network in the Upper East Region bemoaned that access to land for farming or financial support for trading remained a big challenge particularly for widows.
“As women and widows for that matter, we don’t have much support like access to good land or financial support to trade. Last year, for instance I wanted to farm, and they gave me an outer place where monkeys are, so the monkeys, together with cattle destroyed my crops’, she bemoaned
Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)
The Ghana Statistical Service affirmed in its 2024 multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report that the Nabdam District has the highest rate of multidimensional poverty among all 261 districts in Ghana, with a rate of 68.6 percent.
The data suggested that in addition to unemployment, the residents also faced multiple deprivations across various sectors including education, health and living conditions with women being the most burden.
The Women’s Bank
As an inclusive agenda to improve financial inclusion and economic empowerment for women in Ghana, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which is the current government today, prior to the 2024 election proposed the establishment of a women bank.
Among others, this initiative they said would provide access to low interest credit, support women entrepreneurs, provide capacity building for startups and offer inclusive financial services.
Recommendations and conclusions
In rural communities like Gane, where jobs and financial security are often tied to farming, the absence of a male figure in the household means the woman must step into a role that is not just emotionally demanding but also physically and financially taxing.
Though the Women’s Bank is a vital initiative to alleviate poverty and empower women financially to cater to their families, its intended purpose would be much appreciated if rural women, particularly those in the informal sector, were given priority.
Poverty in rural communities continues to worsen because of their overdependence on one farming season because of the lack of other alternatives, and considering or prioritizing most rural women in the Women’s Bank initiative would not only empower them but also help chart a better future for their children.
GNA
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