Ruka

My family struggled financially on my mother’s salary as a teacher, and each day presented new challenges. I would wake up at 4am every morning to do chores and then walk two hours to school.

My two brothers and I were raised by our mother in rural Ghana. As the only girl, I was given more chores in the home and only had time to study at night before bed. My mother struggled to pay my school fees and I was nearly pushed out of school due to non-payment because it took so long to save money.

Despite financial strain, I completed my education and with a lot of perseverance, I was able to achieve a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Development Studies in Ghana. After completing university, I worked as an English instructor and during this time I found myself questioning: “What next?” There are few employment opportunities in many rural parts of sub-Saharan Africa, where 49% of women do not participate in the labor force. The answer to my question came in the form of the CAMFED Association, the network of young women leaders educated with CAMFED support. Through the CAMFED Association I joined the financial literacy program as a Core Business Trainer in 2011.

I do not believe I could have come this far as a young woman if I had not had an education.

I worked as a Core Trainer until 2013 when I was selected for the Innovation Bursary Program (IBP), a CAMFED program delivered in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation which provided business training, internships and mentorship through experienced business owners for young women from marginalized rural communities to start and grow innovative businesses. 

The experience and knowledge I gained through the IBP helped me found and expand my meat processing business, Jamilullah Farms, and support myself and others in my community. Through my business, I employ young people so that they may finance their education, make a living, and even gain the knowledge necessary to start their own businesses.

In 2014 I was recognized as a Mandela Washington Fellow for my entrepreneurship and community activism. I travelled to The Presidential Summit in Washington, DC, where I was one of 25 people to win a $25,000 award.

The money enabled me to further expand Jamilullah Farms, as well as support over 100 small businesses owned by rural women.

Here I am at the White House Presidential Summit in 2014

For me education is the one tool that gives young women presence. Which is key, because you need to be present in order to be able to use your voice.

I served as the elected CAMFED Association National Chairperson for Ghana from 2017 to 2020.

I am an unstoppable force for change and an inspiration to my fellow CAMFED Association members. Philanthropy is a cornerstone of our commitment to the next generation, and I lead by example. I have contributed to 50 programs across Ghana and have mentored 3,000 young people. I even spread my knowledge internationally with the Profit Plus Project in Zambia, where I provided poultry management training to 50 people.

Recognizing that access to technology is one of the greatest challenges for people in my area, I used my connections to acquire four laptops for my community and have since started teaching children how to use them. The children that did not know what ‘booting up a computer’ meant in January this year can now type — and draw the houses in their community — using these computers. This is my proudest accomplishment to date.

In November 2017, I was elected CAMFED Association National Chairperson for Ghana for three years, leading a network of young women activists and philanthropists which then numbered 23,660. I have also served as the Chairperson of the Transition Advisory Group (TAG) which spearheads the CAMFED Association programs that support school graduates in the transition to employment, entrepreneurship and tertiary opportunities, delivered in partnership with CAMFED and the Mastercard Foundation in Ghana.