Once upon a time, in the village of Mantukwa, there lived a talented woman named Rebecca Adwoa Pokuaa. She was gifted in the art of hair plaiting and had a deep passion for it. To hone her skills, Adwoa Pokuaa enrolled as an apprentice in a local hairdressing salon.
Her dedication, hard work, and love for the craft enabled her to excel rapidly. Within just one year, she had perfected her skills, surpassing the typical three-year apprenticeship. Adwoa Pokuaa had become a master hairstylist, renowned for her exceptional skills.
Despite her success, Adwoa Pokuaa faced financial challenges that prevented her from opening her own salon. She continued to work at her master’s salon, assisting and learning from her. To supplement her income, she also offered her services on a freelance basis, traveling from house to house to plait hair for clients.
After a year of working diligently and saving her earnings, Adwoa Pokuaa finally had enough money to build her own shop, which she named “Wo God is Wonderful.” She was grateful for the blessings she had received and believed that with God, nothing was impossible.
As a token of appreciation for her former madam’s guidance, Adwoa Pokuaa received support in the form of goods and materials to help her get started.
With her new shop up and running, Adwoa Pokuaa decided to give back to her community by employing and training four young women who were interested in learning hairstyling but lacked the means. The four ladies, Mamuna, Asana, Linda, and Aisha, began their training with enthusiasm and dedication.
However, after a year, two of the ladies, Mamuna and Aisha, started to misbehave and lose interest in their work. Adwoa Pokuaa sat them down and shared her own life experiences, advising them to change their ways. While Asana and Linda took her advice and continued to work hard, Mamuna and Aisha remained unchanged.
Mamuna and Aisha’s behavior became increasingly erratic, and they would often miss work without notice. They also became entangled in romantic relationships, with Aisha becoming pregnant out of wedlock. Her situation became dire, and she struggled to make ends meet, with even simple tasks like eating becoming a challenge. Her parents, who were impoverished, were unable to provide her with any support, leaving Aisha feeling miserable and hopeless.
Mamuna’s life took a devastating turn when she was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. The news sent her into a deep depression, and she became withdrawn and isolated. As her condition worsened, she lost weight and became frail. The stigma and shame surrounding her illness led to her family’s rejection, and even her romantic partners abandoned her. Alone and desperate, Mamuna saw no way out and tragically took her own life, hanging herself from the ceiling.
The news of Mamuna’s death was a wake-up call for her friend Aisha, who had also been struggling with the consequences of her own choices. Despite her own hardships, Aisha had been blessed with a healthy baby boy. However, the loss of her friend sent her into a period of reflection and regret. She realized that she had wasted years of her life and had missed out on opportunities for education, career advancement, and a stable family life.
Filled with remorse, Aisha returned to her former employer, Madam Adwoa, and apologized for her past mistakes. Madam Adwoa, seeing the sincerity in Aisha’s heart, welcomed her back with open arms. Aisha worked hard to redeem herself and eventually graduated as a skilled hairstylist. She went on to marry a doctor and had two more children, in addition to her son.
Aisha’s story serves as a testament to the power of perseverance and redemption. Even in the darkest of times, it’s never too late to make a change and start anew. With determination and hard work, anyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve their goals.
By Sr. Rebecca Asante, SVI (Sister Communicator).
