Our first African program is in Ghana, a West African country situated between Togo and Côte d’Ivoire. Poverty in Ghana remains widespread, especially in rural regions. Rural Ghanaians face poor access to transportation, markets, and healthcare, and are more vulnerable to droughts and floods compared to urban Ghanaians. According to the most recent data available (2021), 3.4 million Ghanaians lived on less than $2 per day. Additionally, 24.6% of Ghanaians were classified as multidimensionally poor, lacking resources for education, medical assistance, and sufficient food.
On top of that, Ghana’s rural populations generally lack access to banks and financial institutions. Loans, if available, carry unforgiving interest rates of 10–15% per month, trapping households in cycles of poverty.
Gender disparities remain significant: the UNDP Gender Inequality Index ranks Ghana 126th, reflecting gaps in women’s health, empowerment, and labor participation. While women own 46% of Ghanaian businesses and female workforce participation is relatively high at 73.7%, women face disadvantages in accessing financial tools and often work in informal and low-paying positions. While women receive 80% of loans in Ghana, those loans account for just 20% of the total value of all loans issued to Ghanaians.
