Case Studies
Hermas “International” – the man who’s building Lawra
“I’m making a gate for a customer in Accra, I’m working on the solar panel project on the outskirts of town and…”, he points down the road, “I built this street too!” Hermas, or Hermas “International” as his friends tease, is a big personality and an ATE role model in...
A day in the life of Agnes, a kayeye street girl
It’s 4am and dark when Agnes rubs sleep from her eyes and rolls out of bed. She lights a pile of firewood, arranged the night before, and starts preparing pies. Once piping hot, she packs them into a metal container, heaves it onto her head and sets out onto the...
A head above ground: Alex’s story
“You’ve got to look after yourself. Stick to the surface and don’t go too deep. If you do, it’s not my problem!” At 18, Alex should be studying for his final year exams at Senior High School. Instead, he’s restarting his first year at Junior High School and advising...
A Sign of the Times- Joseph the Plumber
Joseph’s thriving plumbing business is a sign that things are changing in Lawra. He installs WCs, wash basins, showers, sinks and polytanks. “I enjoy doing quality work. And it’s making people’s lives easier – so they don’t need to go to the borehole to fetch water,...
A Day in the Life of Janet
4am – wakes up, prays, cleans house, sets fire. Then, she goes to the well to get water, warms water over fire and bathes her 3 year old daughter Patience. No breakfast. 7am – leaves for work. It used to take 2 hours to walk, but now ATE has helped her buy a bike for...
VocATE Apprentice Janet securing her future as a seamstress
At “something between 25 and 30 years old” Janet is a bit older than most ATE-supported apprentices. But, if anything, that means she’s making even more of the opportunity. Two years ago, she was selected to be the apprentice of Teresa, a seamstress who received a...
Not a Pie in the Sky- Mr and Mrs Abu’s ‘Meat Pie’ Business
Mr and Mrs Abu (Musah and Rahinatu) are a husband and wife team making and selling their famous “Meat Pies” from a mobile stall in Lawra town centre. On a typical day, they sell around 60 pies – which actually contain no meat, but are a local favourite of egg and...
Entrepreneurial Amatus Knows No Bounds
Amatus represents everything that is positive and hopeful about ATE. In less than one year, he has built a thriving business, employed two people, won a scholarship to study at University in Accra – and is planning to open a factory next year. And he’s only 19. It...
Pioneering Headteacher John Bosco
John Bosco has gone a full circle. He was the pioneering headteacher at Dowine Junior High School before, during and after ATE helped establish the school-feeding programme. But now, he’s been posted to a different school – Boo JHS – where there’s no feeding...
A Day in the Life of Christiana
It’s always great to see a business expand and diversify – and that’s exactly what Christiana has done. She’s used her grant from ATE to buy supplies for her hairdressing business, and now also buys and sells maize. In fact, the maize has become a bigger part of the...