In the dry Savannah landscape of Ghana’s Upper East Region, opportunity is often shaped by geography. Communities are dispersed, economic activity is seasonal, and livelihoods depend heavily on rain-fed agriculture. During the long dry season, income sources shrink, and young people, especially women, face limited options. In this context, vulnerability to economic distress, social exclusion, and exposure to violent extremism (VE) narratives increases.

It is within this environment that the SURE Project, implemented by STAR-Ghana Foundation, is working to strengthen community resilience through livelihood skills development. One of its most compelling stories of change is that of Issah Huzaifa Bachandi, one of three girls enrolled for the electrical installation and maintaining livelihood skills training in Chereponi.

Background: Interrupted Education and Limited Options

Issah Huzaifa Bachandi is a mother of three, a wife, and a Senior High School (SHS) leaver. Her educational journey was marked by financial constraints and social expectations. Like many girls in the Upper East Region, continuing education required navigating economic hardship and gendered norms that often prioritize domestic responsibilities over career aspirations.

Although she completed SHS, progression into tertiary education was not financially viable. Marriage and motherhood followed soon after. With no employable technical skill and limited income-generating opportunities in her community, she relied largely on her husband’s income, which fluctuated seasonally.

The economic pressure was real: school fees, food security during lean periods, healthcare costs, and basic household needs. The dependency created vulnerability not only economically, but socially. “My journey started with a simple wish to earn my own money and ease my husband’s burden. But the sensitization taught me that safety is fragile, and the troubles beyond our border are a reminder that we cannot take peace for granted” Huzaifa said.

A Non-Traditional Decision

When the SURE Project introduced livelihood skills training in her district, Huzaifa made an unconventional choice: she enrolled in electrical installation and maintenance training.

Where she found herself, electrical work is traditionally male-dominated. Moreover, there was a clear service gap there was no resident electrician. Households often waited days for technicians from nearby towns, increasing costs and delaying repairs.

Her decision was significant for several reasons: She is a married woman stepping into a male-dominated trade.She is a mother of three balancing domestic responsibilities with technical training.She challenged prevailing social norms about what women “should” do.She identified a concrete market gap within her own community.

Her participation was not merely about skill acquisition; it was an act of agency.

Training as a Pathway to Resilience

Through the SURE Project’s structured livelihood skills training, Huzaifa is gaining:

• Technical competence in wiring, installations, and troubleshooting.
• Practical exposure to real-world electrical systems.
• Entrepreneurial orientation to operate as a service provider.
• Increased confidence and social recognition.

The impact of this intervention extends beyond income.

Economic Empowerment:
 Electrical services are in constant demand. By entering a market with little competition, she positioned herself for sustainable income generation rather than seasonal earnings.
Household Stability:
 Diversified household income reduces financial strain and strengthens her family’s capacity to withstand shocks, crop failure, illness, or market downturns.
Gender Norm Transformation:
 Her presence in a male-dominated trade subtly reshapes community perceptions about women’s roles.
Prevention of Violent Extremism (VE):
In fragile contexts like parts of northern Ghana, economic marginalization and hopelessness can increase susceptibility to extremist narratives. By equipping women and youth with viable livelihoods, the SURE Project addresses structural drivers of vulnerability like unemployment, exclusion, and economic frustration. Huzaifa’s story illustrates how livelihood training functions as a protective factor.

According to the mother of three, “what is happening is bigger than a skills training because we need to be resilient. I refuse to be idle, because an idle mind breeds fear and helplessness. Instead, I am turning that fear into focus. By learning this skill, I am building a protection for my family and community” Economic agency reduces dependency, strengthens identity, and builds community cohesion. Her participation is not only symbolic, it is functional and market-relevant.

The Change

Before the intervention, Huzaifa was a dependent SHS leaver with limited livelihood options in a geographically constrained economy.

After the intervention, she is:

• A trained electrician
• A service provider in a high-demand trade
• A contributor to household income
• A role model for women and girls
• A participant in strengthening community resilience

Her journey demonstrates that when livelihood programs are context-sensitive responding to geographic isolation, market gaps, and gender norms they can generate multidimensional change.

In the Upper East Region, where economic fragility intersects with social vulnerability, the SURE Project’s investment in human capital is not just about skills, it is about stability.

Issah Huzaifa Bachandi’s story shows that resilience begins at the household level. By supporting one woman to step into an unconventional trade, the project has strengthened a family, filled a community service gap, and contributed to broader efforts to prevent violent extremism.