| Bank Opportunity International Savings and Loans Ltd |
| Location Ghana, Africa |
Madam Joyce Boateng is into the sale of a variety of products which she started about Twenty-Two years ago. She got to know of Opportunity International when some staff embarked on an outreach program in her community. She had the capacity to expand her petty trading, but her challenge then was access to funds so when the Relationship Officer from Opportunity International approached her, she quickly responded and opened an account in July 2008 at the Nkawkaw branch in the Eastern Region of Ghana, where she received her first cycle loan facility of GH₵300 ($55). Currently, Joyce is an Adehye (Royal) client with her last loan being GH₵10,000 ($1,800).
She started her business in a very humble way with the sale of only ‘Gari’ (Processed Cassava) and charcoal. But after receiving the financial assistance, she gradually added on other products at the request of her customers. Joyce now serves her customers with about fifteen different products including Beans, Maize, Millet and Groundnuts. Joyce has secured a container shop in which she stores her wares at the Nkawkaw Market. She gets her wares both locally and internationally from Nigeria, Cote-D’voire and Burkina Faso.
Joyce is proud to see her first child in the University and the second in the Senior High School. Joyce said, ‘I have been able to achieve all these because of the support from Opportunity International in the form of trainings, financial assistance and constant monitoring’. She is very grateful to Opportunity International for believing in a simple ‘Gari’ and Charcoal seller and transforming her life to the extent of making her an international businesswoman.