By Betsy Ramser Jaime
Born in 1994, Shadrach Offei did not have the easiest childhood. He was raised in the mining town of Bogoso and was the first child of three. Shadrach shares, ‘we didn’t enjoy life because my father died early so my mother used to work in neighbors farms before we can eat.’
As the firstborn, he also had stop his schooling early on as things were becoming difficult for his mother once his father had passed away. He was able to assist his family by getting a job with a friend doing small scale mining. Then, using the money that he raised from his mining work, he was able to open a shop of his own. Now, Shadrach has been managing the shop for eight years.
Through his Zidisha funded loans, Shadrach has continually re-stocked his shop with important items such as, ‘rice, oil, and sugar.’
He explains, ‘The earnings will be used to enhance my business and see my brothers through education.’
With his first few Zidisha funded loans Shadrach shared, ‘Am requesting a loan to buy cereals. I intend to buy different varieties of cereals such as maize, sorghum, rice, wheat, barley, and millet to sell in the local market. The market for cereals is never a problem because the demand is always high, and I plan to take advantage of that. Because of the good relationship I have with my neighbours, I plan to increase my market by using word-of-mouth to reach more customers and markets. You can help me achieve my dreams with this loan, which will surely bring big profits.’
Seeing the positive impact that his Zidisha funded loans were having on his business, Shadrach took to his discussion page and shared this most recent update on April 13, 2022, ‘This money will be used to add to my trading capital to purchase items I need in the shop and I really appreciate you all both lenders and borrower’s for making my project possible.’
Would you like to make a difference in the life of another Zidisha entrepreneur like Shadrach? Make sure to head on over to our Browse Projects page to see how other business owners around the world are changing their own lives, their families, and their communities for the better.
Betsy is a Writer and Editor living in Florida with her husband. She has been writing with Zidisha for 5 years and loves sharing the inspiring stories of Zidisha entrepreneurs. You can connect with her on her personal website.
