A Mother’s Support, A Daughter’s Success

At Asante Africa Foundation, the lessons young people learn don’t stop in the classroom—they grow stronger when they are nurtured at home.

For Manjeri, a Senior Three student in Secondary School, one lesson in saving became the start of something much bigger. Through her school club, Manjeri learned the importance of setting money aside for the future. But it was what happened next that truly brought that lesson to life.

She shared what she had learned with her stepmother.

Together, they made a simple but powerful decision: to start saving, with the goal of building a small business of their own.

It wasn’t easy or immediate. Side by side, Manjeri and her stepmother took on small jobs in their community—working in gardens and doing casual labour—saving whatever they could, little by little. With patience and determination, their savings slowly grew until they had enough to take the next step.

Today, they run a small home-based business, selling tomatoes, onions, fried cassava, and other local foods. It’s a shared effort—her stepmother manages the stall during school days, while Manjeri takes over after school, on weekends, and during holidays.

The income they earn now helps support their household and contributes to Manjeri’s school needs.

But for Manjeri, the impact goes far beyond income.

She credits her stepmother as the driving force behind their success—someone who believed in her, stayed committed, and turned a simple idea into something real.

“I learned a lot about saving through the program, but what really made a difference was the support I got at home. My stepmother encouraged me, stayed involved, and made sure I followed through. Because of her, I was able to turn what I learned into action and build better saving habits.”

This Mother’s Day, stories like Manjeri’s remind us that behind every young person taking a step forward, there is often a mother—or mother figure—walking beside them, helping turn possibility into progress.