`Sinapi Aba award recipient shares her story

A beneficiary and winner of the ‘Micro-School Project’, a programme run by Sinapi Aba Savings and Loans Limited and Opportunity International Deutschland (OI-D), Madam Esther Asamoah,  proprietress of God’s Heritage Academy, has returned to share her story of a 2-week fully sponsored trip abroad.

Her visit abroad, which was at the request of OI-D, took her to Germany and Switzerland for fundraising from 12^th to 24^th November 2015, and to share her success story with potential donors.

The visit also gave her an opportunity to engage and interact with a number of educational institutions and students, as well as some management members of OI-D who have been impressed with the progress of her school.   

God’s Heritage Academy, one of the promising private schools in Kumasi, was started in 2006 by Madam Asamoah from a small beginning of only ten children, a teacher and a cook -- under a canopy in a compound before moving into a wooden structure. 

After some years of challenging moments, God’s Heritage Academy now has a two-storey building structure of 10 classroom blocks, an office -- and a student population of over 200 pupils ranging from crèche to junior high school 1, eleven teachers, two cooks, a driver and a cleaner.

Madam Asamoah, who shared these in a visit to the Kumasi office of B&FT, upon her return from abroad said: “The journey to where we are now wasn’t as easy as it may seem on the eye.”

She said the gains made would not have been possible had it not been for the frequent support offered them by Sinapi Aba.

She explained that she took a series of loan facilities from Sinapi Aba with very flexible repayment terms to expand her school to the state it is now in.

Her first encounter with the company after going through the orientation process offered her a chance to obtain a loan amount of GH₵4,000. A loan that was just enough to put up wooden structures. 

She paid it off in just six months and Sinapi Aba, upon seeing how creditworthy and dedicated she was, further supported her with GH₵10,000 to be paid in 12 monthly equal installments. 

This amount was used to start building permanent classroom blocks. She has gradually progressed over the period with loan amounts ranging from GH₵4,000 through to her fifth (5th) loan cycle, which brought her a loan of GH₵20,000.  

She also mentioned that her school has over the years also benefitted immensely from the Sinapi Aba ‘Micro-School Project’, through which some financial and business advisory services were offered.

‘As a teacher, the fear of leaving her infant children behind to work and the desire to care for children, naturally as a mother, opened doors when she spotted the poor state of education in her community -- leading her establishing the school.

But she maintained that the biggest motivation has been these two noble financial institutions which have been her bedrock in the success of God’s Heritage Academy.

The ‘Micro-School Project’ is a programme designed by Sinapi Aba and OI-D to assist emerging small educational institutions across the country. 

It was indicated that quite a number of micro-private educational facilities have benefitted from financial and advisory support services through project.

The proprietress of God’s Heritage Academy was selected to embark on the all-expenses-paid visit after beating two other institutions -- Bright Star International and Glorious Star International. 

She called on businesses owners and trade operators to rely on Sinapi Aba for solutions for their financial freedom.

Sinapi Aba has transformed many lives and a number of institutions through micro-financing with its over-48 branches across Ghana. 

Source:B&FT