It's more than just a job for our facilitators
- ellenarnison
- Jun 19
- 2 min read
Nancy and Hassan talk about how their lives have been affected by their work with Prosper
Prosper’s facilitators know how important security of income is as they are living examples of the difference it makes.
Since Nancy began work for Prosper’s local partner, AWISH, in 2016, her life has been transformed for the better.
She said: “This job has empowered me so much, it has given me the ability to take care, not only of my child, but my siblings and extended family.”
Before she joined the organisation, Nancy, a trained teacher, was working as a volunteer in a school because there were no paid roles and it was necessary to get a ‘pin number’ to be paid a salary.
“I was very shy then, but now, because of being a facilitator and doing training in the community, I have had the privilege of empowering myself and I can stand in public and talk. I can decide on my life, because I own my life. I can decide what’s good for my life and, if it’s not good for my life, I will not do it. This job has given me the power to be strong as a woman.”
Her role means she has to travel the country – often on the back of a motor bike – to get to the communities she supports. This is a mixed blessing. She enjoys visiting people beyond Kenema Township and the village where she was born, but the travel on rough roads, especially in the rainy season, are arduous.
She said: “It’s very, very challenging, but you have to adapt to it to reach every community we want to. I manage because I have a passion for the job and I need to get there.
“I don’t mind about the roads because we want to extend our work to so many districts and empower the women there. The women we have worked with love this training and it’s already improving their lives. I never want to stop doing this.”
Hassan Sherif started working for AWISH at the same time as Nancy. As the single parent of three children, his work has given the whole family much-needed security.
“This job has been there for me. I’ve been able to rent a whole compound for me and my children. I can pay the bills and send them to school.
Before working for AWISH, because his divorce left him with little, Hassan worked hard at two jobs. “I was a journalist working for a local radio station and I was a teacher. I taught in schools and I ran syndicate classes at home. So teaching and at the same time working for a local radio station, time was very tight for me because when I got home I would be watching over my children.
“I’m very grateful to Prosper for using AWISH as their local partner and implementing the project because they’ve been there supporting me all through tough and difficult times.”
