Success Story

Hannah's Success Story
Hannah Changes Perceptions on Girls in Chamba Six years ago, the family of 13-year old Hannah Tachlm and the whole village of Chamba in the northern region of Ghana, was bent on forcing her out of Junior High school and giving her out in marriage to a 38-year old already married man. To the people, a girl is only good for marriage. Hannah stood her grounds of not getting married and with the help of Trans4orm Ghana, lived in hiding to escape forced marriage. Today, she is the star in her family and the village of Chamba after graduating from Senior High School and gearing up to enter university. “I am sure if I die one day, it is Hannah who would have the resources to organize my funeral. I am now happy that she escaped that forced marriage. Now I know that education is important because Hannah is different now among all the girls in the village who all now have two or more babies with no education” says Mr. Yabil Tachlm, Hannahs father. Hannah’s elder brother, James Tachlm also has this to say, “I am praying that the people that helped her to finish secondary school, will continue to support her to university. The whole village is very happy and we thank you”. Hannah was identified by Trans4orm as one of the many children whose rights to education was being curtailed due to forced marriage and other negative customary practices in the Nanumba North District in the northern region of Ghana. Trans4orm changed her location and supported her through Junior high school and through to the end of senior high school and now looking forward to enter university. “Now my whole family and village are aware what education can do to change lives. All my age mates who were forced to marry now have children and are not educated and have to live lives of abuse from their equally uneducated old husbands. My father now wants me to continue education to the highest level and I am happy the work of Trans4orm has changed a whole lot of people in my village” Hannah tells her success story with broad smiles. According to Hannah, “since I returned after completion of secondary education, my home has become a community centre for teenage mothers who come to tell me of their suffering from their husbands and how they wished to be like me”. Hannah organizes counseling for the teenage mothers and gives them hope that “they can still change their circumstances by learning vocations even if they can’t go back to school”. This change did not come about easily. Trans4orm Ghana at the beginning of the support of Hannah had no structures or finances but had to work to relocate Hannah to a town that she could not be reached by her parents and brothers who were searching to take her to the home of her “husband”. A foster parent was located by Trans4orm, support mechanism agreed, fees paid to the new school and security measure put in place in case her new location was discovered by her parents. The founder of Trans4orm Ghana, Mr. Vincent Azumah visited Hannah’s parents to try to talk them into allowing her continue her education without success. Hannah’s father at the time said “if I allow her to go to school, where will the brother get the cows to also marry their wives? Please leave me alone, Haannah must get married now.” Two years into her education away from her parents, Trans4orm facilitated a visit for her to see her parents to measure what reaction she would be given as the goal of the Trans4orm support project was to ensure she is able to return to her village to become a change agent. Hannah received positive reception and has since then been returning to her village from school at least once every year. Trans4orm stood its ground in support of Hannah who entered the Salaga Ahmadiya Secondary with the continuous support of Trans4orm until she completed in May 2013 awaiting examination results and entry into the University. Trans4orm which since its inception has never received any financial support from any donor institution is financed from the founder’s savings and from consultancies for other organisations. Trans4orm however supports other marginalized children in its education and youth empowerment programme. .