Harriet Nana Serwaa

My journey is rooted in adversity, but driven by purpose. At the age of six, my parents separated, and my father was not present in my upbringing. I was raised by my mother alone, a small-scale trader who, despite struggling with poor health, did everything she could to support me. Even with her sacrifices, there were times when securing a single meal for the day was uncertain.

From an early age, I took on responsibilities to support my mother through small trading activities, including selling eggs and sometimes ice water after school. These experiences shaped my resilience, discipline, and deep awareness of economic hardship at the household level.

After completing junior high school at 13, I was unable to continue my education due to financial constraints and my mother’s declining health. Determined to pursue a different future, I relocated from Sunyani to Accra in search of opportunity.

In Accra, I lived under extremely difficult conditions and survived by selling items in traffic. Despite these challenges, I remained committed to my education. It took me 11 years to complete my Senior High School education through private study, and an additional four years before I gained admission into university.

I began my higher education at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), where I obtained a Diploma, and later advanced to the Accra Institute of Technology, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Finance.

I have since lost both of my parents, but their struggles, especially my mother’s resilience—continue to inspire my work and ambitions.

My lived experience has given me a unique perspective on poverty, inequality, and limited access to opportunity. It is this perspective that led me to establish AHSA Life Organization, focused on supporting street children and vulnerable girls through education and empowerment.

My long-term goal is to contribute to economic policy and social development initiatives that address structural inequality and expand access to opportunity for disadvantaged populations.

This vision strongly aligns with the mission of global scholarship programmes such as the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, which seeks to support individuals committed to sustainable development; Chevening Scholarships, which focuses on developing future leaders and change-makers; and DAAD, which promotes international academic exchange and development-focused education.

Through advanced graduate study, I aim to strengthen my expertise in economics and finance, equipping myself with the analytical and policy skills required to design impactful solutions. I am committed to using this knowledge to influence policy, support vulnerable communities, and scale initiatives like AHSA Life Organization to create measurable, long-term impact.

I believe that education, when combined with lived experience and purpose, can be a powerful tool for transformation—not only for individuals, but for entire communities.