In Ghana financial skills, stronger futures: A mother’s path to keeping her children in school

For years, Lydia Asante, a rice seller in Nkatieso, worked tirelessly yet lived with constant financial uncertainty. Though she earned money daily, it seemed to vanish. “I would make sales every day, but by week’s end, I could not explain where the money had gone,” she recalls. At times, she even borrowed just to restock.

That changed in November 2025 when she joined the ACCEL Africa financial education training through her Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) group. In only three days, Lydia improved her knowledge on budgeting, goal setting, savings strategies, digital payments, and risk planning, skills she had never been exposed to before.

"I learned that money does not just happen, you have to tell your money where to go," she says.

Today, Lydia prepares weekly budgets, tracks her income, and saves consistently at the bank. She confidently uses mobile money, once a source of fear, and has begun building an emergency fund. Her goals are clear: buy a second cooking pot within six months and pay her children’s school fees on time.

“Before, money just disappeared. Now I control where every cedi goes,” Lydia says proudly. “I am not just selling rice anymore, I am building a future for my family.”

These changes, increased her children’s chances of staying in school, supporting the ILO and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands' mission to eliminate child labour. And Lydia is paying it forward: “If I can change my situation with the small income from selling rice, anyone can.” Lydia Asante's journey illustrates how financial literacy can transform the entire life trajectory of vulnerable people.