Adiza was born in the rural Upper East Region of Ghana where the poverty can be staggering. Her parents are farmers and in the dry season there was very little work provided for her family. Adiza was never afforded the opportunity to attend school. When she was ten her parents separated and by the age of eleven her mother had remarried. Her stepfather already had two other wives and seven other children and refused to support Adiza. Adiza was persuaded by the girls who came back to her village to move to Accra to find work and support herself. The promise of opportunity was not realized in Accra and she began selling bagged water on the streets. She worked 12 hours a day and earned less than $.01 per sale but she contends, “I was very happy to be earning money”. She slept in the market in dilapidated stalls that leaked when it rained. All her belongings remained in a plastic bag which she had to pay a street-boy a small fee to guard during the day. Adiza wanted to “make enough money to go back to my village so I could help my mother there”. When Adiza was fifteen she became pregnant and her boyfriend refused to take responsibility for the child. Six months into her pregnancy, Rose, a social worker for S.Aid, befriended Adiza and convinced her of the benefits of the refuge. While at the refuge, Adiza began to learn sewing and Batik/Tie and Dye. Adiza remained in the refuge through her pregnancy and gave birth to Kofi, a healthy boy. S.Aid sponsored Adiza to continue learning the tailoring trade and assisted her in establishing her own successful dress-making and tailor shop. “I am scared to think where I would be if I did not visit the refuge. I am very grateful to Street Girls [Aid] and hope to repay them one day!”
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