Isaac Kofi Arboah-Asiedu is my name and I am married to Joycelyn with four children, two boys and two girls. I was born on 24th October, 1969 at Mampong Akuapem in the Eastern Region of Ghana. I started my basic education at the Methodist Primary School and completed at the Presbyterian Middle Boys School in the same town in 1985.

Though I was determined to continue my education as far as I could, my secondary school education became very difficult. This was because my father had passed away after my eighth birthday, and my mother was an unemployed single-parent who had to cater for as many as six children. Under the circumstances, I had to grow vegetables with a friend for about two years to raise funds to start my secondary education. While schooling, I also undertook amateur photography to support whatever I got from vegetable growing during holidays and the little a got from my mother.

To keep my dreams alive, I undertook pupil teaching while preparing to write my General Certificate Examination, Advanced Level in 1995, it had taken me long to get here, though. Since I was not comfortable with my non-professional status in teaching, I enrolled in a Diploma in Basic Education Distance Programme at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, and graduated as a professional teacher in 2006. I further obtained a Bachelor of Education in Mathematics from Valley View University, Oyibi-Accra, in 2012.

It appears, looking at where I am coming from, that I have achieved something. But since I have not yet reached my goal of becoming a university lecturer, I am still pressing on to attain that feat!

I am also determined to provide better education for my children Anna (16), Andrew (14), Rhoda (11) and Nathanael (1), so that they achieve their goals of becoming a teacher, an artist and a nurse respectively (Nat, who is just 13 months old, has not yet come out with his future career), and that they will not go through the difficulty that I went through.

Unfortunately, with my current income everything is a struggle. I hope to supplement my scanty salary with income from selling wall hangings, which in the past I have been making as a hobby.

Writing of inscriptions for wall hangings, has been my hobby. I normally write favourite texts on cards or glass with a background design to make them attractive. The frame for the glass or the ends of the cards are mostly made from local materials. I hope to translate this hobby into an income generating venture to supplement my teaching income.

I will spend the US$ 70 I get from the loan in the following manner: Glass US$30, ink US$5, Chip/Cardboard US$20, Spray Paint US$10, Brushes US$3 and paper tape US$2.

This will be sufficient materials to make about 30 wall hangings, which I will be able to sell for US$7 each. From the sale of these wall hangings, I will get a profit of US$140 (or $110 after Zidisha fees). This will enable me to pay for my children’s school fees.