Emerging from the loss of her father and battling poverty, Zenabu Awinbe Salifu has become a beacon of hope for many vulnerable individuals in the Upper East Region.

"I hail from a family of 11, and I'm the 5th born. I was born in Takoradi, began my primary education there, then continued at Manga JSS in Bawku after my father passed away in the early 80s," Zenabu recounted.

Despite facing gender bias favoring male children in the northern Ghana, Zenabu defied odds that might have led to early marriage or dropping out of school. She undertook menial jobs to afford school supplies, as investing in a girl's education was deemed wasteful.

Overcoming myriad challenges, Zenabu now ensures that young girls and vulnerable women surmount similar challenges. Through her NGO, the Sung Biela Foundation, she uplifts disadvantaged individuals, embodying resilience and empowerment.

Zenabu has initiated projects that significantly influence the lives of numerous schools and individuals in the Upper East Region, notably within the Kusaug Traditional Area. Her efforts have reached about 30,000 students through donations of teaching and learning materials to schools and individuals.

Mentorship and career guidance programs instill hope in young girls, encouraging them to pursue education and strive for a better future in society. Additionally, Zenabu supports widows by facilitating their involvement in petty trade, enabling them to achieve financial independence and stability. Through these multifaceted initiatives, Zenabu exemplifies her commitment to uplifting communities and fostering positive societal change in the region.

Supports to schools

In 2021, Zenabu's NGO extended a helping hand to Manga Junior High School in the Bawku Municipality by donating essential educational materials including mathematical sets, textbooks, pens, pencils, exercise books, erasers, and past question & answer booklets.

Recognizing similar challenges faced by seven other schools in the Binduri and Bawku West Districts, as well as within the Bawku Municipality, Zenabu's organization also provided educational resources to alleviate their burdens.

Journalists covering the donation ceremony uncovered worrying situations at some schools, such as Binduri Junior High School A and B, where the headmaster then, Joseph Abugre, expressed the difficulties in teaching and learning due to the lack of textbooks.

Similarly, other schools like Kpeliwega JHS, Zabugu JHS, Azariya JHS, Buabula Primary and JHS, Asobelaga Primary School, and Watania JHS faced similar challenges, prompting Sung Bie'la Foundation to select them for donations.

Drawing from her own experiences as an orphaned child struggling to access education at Manga JHS, Zenabu hopes that her contributions will ease the educational journey for young students. She recounted her personal hardships and emphasized her desire to motivate children to pursue their studies, inspired by the support she received during her own education journey.

In 2022, a similar act of generosity was extended to students in the area, and in 2023, educational materials valued at 28,000 cedis were donated to eight disadvantaged schools in the region. These beneficiary schools included Gentiga Primary and Junior High School, Bansi Junior High School, Yakut Modern Girls School, Yebongo Junior High School, Kusanaba Junior High School, and Kusanaba Senior High School, situated in the Bawku Municipal, Binduri District, Bawku West District, and Bolgatanga areas.

Thanks to the generous support of sponsors and donors who share the foundation's commitment to enhancing educational opportunities for rural children, all schools received vital educational materials and supplies, encompassing textbooks, writing materials, and other learning aids.

Zenabu emphasized that these donations were part of the foundation's mission to assist vulnerable individuals and communities in northern Ghana in improving their living conditions. She encouraged students to prioritize their studies and urged teachers to provide guidance and support, particularly to those students in need.

The foundation aims to equip children with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in life through its various programs and initiatives, believing that collaborative efforts can significantly impact the lives of rural children and help them build brighter futures.

Teachers from several schools expressed gratitude to the organization for its efforts in aiding underprivileged children, pledging to utilize the donated items for their intended purposes.

Visit Bawku communities and donations to needy

In December 29, 2022, two days before the New Year, it was a warm Thursday afternoon. Both adults and children waited patiently to receive their share of clothes, shoes, rice, salt, and other food items gathered from charitable people across Ghana in a manner as though they were spectators in a stadium to watch a football match.

Those who lacked clothing and shoes moved toward the pickup that had stopped in front of a house near a mosque. Other residents including children and adults had also started to move closer to the Nissan pickup, and soon a group of people engulfed in awe emerged. Many children who did not have or have few clothes or shoes got one or two of them.

Bolgatanga Senior High School student Asaanbil Mustapha, 18, said, "I don't know what it means to have these things." Items like books and a solar lamp were given to Asaanbil so he can continue to study at home.

A rough count put the number of recipients at close to 300, either having given up on education or juggling it with manageable problems.

There was no difference in the situations at Kaadi, Agumse, and Atuba. Because of their extreme poverty, parents and guardians cannot afford to buy essential items for their children. Majority of them in the communities had experienced daily effects from that. Many of them had no expectations for the holiday season because of the harsh realities they had to face early in life. One of the kids, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "Honestly, I didn't expect anything."

Zenabu said, "It is my responsibility to help the underprivileged through some support from friends to improve their quality of life." Zenabu stated that wanting to support society has always been a personal passion of hers.

In Zabugu, Agumse, Atuba, and Kaadi, things that other children take for granted were actually necessities. "I want everyone here to know that this is not the end for them; you will rise above this and transform into a better person someday, who will also return to assist those in need."

Some elderly women who collected their gifts were excited. When asked what prompted the excitement, one of them responded that she never imagined she would receive such items.

Only death, according to Zenabu, will make her give up helping society's less fortunate.

Over 500 widows and underprivileged received foodstuffs

On December 26, 2022, a group of widows and underprivileged people from various communities in the Kusaug Traditional Area in the Upper East Region were overjoyed when they received food gifts from the Sung Bie'la Foundation. The NGO provided them with food at Bawku Technical Institute.

For the past nine years, "we have been assisting community members, including the less fortunate in society, such as widows," Zenabu said.

Zenabu stated that by empowering widows and underprivileged such as the aged through feeding programs, they have improved their working relationships.

She indicated that the programme has helped widows reduce stress by providing them with food to share with their family members. Beneficiaries were given rice, salt, and cooking oil, among other things, at the event.

Mba Saaki Anaane from Songo in the Garu area, one of the beneficiaries, praised the foundation for assisting them during this festive season.

"We are grateful to have been given food to feed our families; may the Almighty God continue to bless us through such feeding programmes," she said.

Another Songo Garu resident, Hawa Akolgo, said she would have struggled to feed her family if the assistance had not arrived. Hawa requested that Zenabu and her team continue to assist the underprivileged, as they do not have immediate assistance.

For Zenabu, it is her responsibility, as well as the responsibility of all Ghanaians, to assist widows and the underprivileged because they did not wish to become what they are today.

"I help widows because they have no other support than the little farming." Zenabu stated that she is always available to help them.

Sung Bie’la gifts baby items to mothers at health facilities in Bawku

On December 29, 2022, Sung Bie'la Foundation presented gifts to 19 newly delivered mothers and their babies at Vineyard and Quality hospitals in Bawku. The Foundation surprised the mothers who could have spent so much on purchasing items such as diapers, baby clothes, sanitary pads, and other necessities due to the current economic challenges. The gift was part of the Foundation's effort to help women live meaningful lives.

Zenabu said that the declaration for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pledges that no one will be left behind on the collective journey to end poverty, eradicate hunger, and combat inequalities, and that special attention must be paid to the needs of the vulnerable.

The mothers who received the items expressed their gratitude to the Foundation and asked for God's blessings on them. Taiba Rauf, a beneficiary, expressed gratitude for the donation, saying she did not expect such a generous gesture. "May God richly bless them so that they can continue to give back to society."

Joyce Boahene, the Vineyard facility's midwife, was excitement and urged other organizations to emulate Sung Bie'la to support vulnerable women.

Simon’s legs amputation and Zenabu’s support

Simon Alale whose legs were amputated after a bus accident in 2019 on his way back to Garu in the Upper East Region got support from Zenabu’s foundation.

The accident had destabilized the life of the former caretaker of a cocoa farm in Prestea in the Western Region. When his father died, Simon took over and assisted the family until he was returning home for the final funeral rites.

Simon said the anguish he feels every waking hour as a result of losing both legs is mirrored by the pain he sees his family going through, pain that makes him angry and sad. Simon was doing everything he could  to turn back time, to stop the pain, and to start over.

The story of Simon had moved the founder of the Sung Bie'la Foundation who decided to donate GHȼ7,000 to help the family. Zenabu said she heard about Simon's condition through another person and decided to speak to some friends who supported.

"Initially, he wanted us to get a tricycle that will work for him because he has no legs. Unfortunately, we weren't able to raise the funds to get him the tricycle."

Simon started a business for the benefit of his family and to the glory of God. "I'd use the money to open a shop, stock items, and sell them. It could assist me in caring for my mother, wife and children."

Because the house was not connected to the national grid, Zenabu gave two solar lamps to the family. Simon said that he was starting to see reasons why he needed to let go of the past and start over.

JoyNews highlighted Simon's predicament which attracted a philanthropist who wants to remain anonymous to assist him establish a business.

The philanthropist donated 5000 cedis to the accident victim through Sung Bie'la Foundation that initially donated 7000 cedis to Simon. This meant that a sum of 12, 000 cedis had been donated to Simon to establish the business.

Simon thanked them for the assistance provided so far and requested more in order to establish himself successfully.

International Women’s Day presents opportunity for Zenabu, others

As the world observes International Women's Day, it presents a significant opportunity to recognize the accomplishments, resilience, and fortitude of women worldwide like Zenabu.

In a gender-equal world, imagine a reality devoid of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. Picture a society that embraces diversity, fosters equity, and promotes inclusivity - a world where differences are not only accepted but celebrated. In such a world, Zenabu and countless other women wouldn't have had to endure the childhood challenges they faced. Instead, they would have been empowered to pursue their dreams without the barriers imposed by societal norms and gender expectations.

It's a vision where opportunities are equally accessible to all, regardless of gender, and where every individual is valued and respected for their unique contributions.

Zenabu attributed her journey to perseverance, determination, hard work, and an unwavering spirit of resilience, alongside the grace of God. She emphasized that her impoverished upbringing serves as her primary motivation, compelling her to strive diligently to uplift others from similar circumstances.

"My impoverished background serves as my motivation; it compels me to work hard so I can uplift others from poverty," Zenabu expressed

Reflecting on the impactful work of her NGO over the past four years, she underscored the importance of prioritizing faith, diligence, focus, determination, and perseverance in achieving one's aspirations.

Her advice encapsulated the essence of her personal ethos: "Put God first, work hard, stay focused, be determined, and persevere until you reach your goals."