Wired for Success: How Clement Overcame Tragedy to Build a Bright Future as an Electrician
By Kennedy Amponsah-Cheremeh, Reading Improvement and Skills Enhancement Project Officer
At just 22, Clement’s life has already been shaped by hardship, resilience, and remarkable transformation. Once a promising student, his dreams of furthering his education were shattered by the sudden death of his father shortly after he completed his West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The cocoa farm intended to fund his schooling was taken over by his father’s family, leaving him without financial support and forcing him to drop out. Determined to survive, Clement began riding a commercial tricycle to earn a living.
But tragedy struck again. He was involved in a serious accident that claimed one life and left another person severely injured. The aftermath was devastating. Legal and police proceedings drained what little money he had, leaving him emotionally and financially exhausted.
With no options left, Clement moved to another district in search of work, taking on any job he could find to make ends meet. During this difficult period, World Vision Ghana stepped in, offering him the opportunity to train in electrical installation.
A year into the programme, Clement has flourished. He can now wire an entire house with precision and professionalism. His skills extend beyond installations he repairs household appliances such as irons, blenders, fans, kettles, and rice cookers with ease. Although still an apprentice, Clement promotes his work on social media, helping him to support himself and his mother, a subsistence farmer.
Clement’s vision for the future is as bright as the circuits he installs. He hopes to graduate and open his own shop selling electrical accessories while continuing his core work in installations and repairs. His most heartfelt ambition is to build a home for his mother and relocate her from the village to a more developed town, giving her the comfort and dignity she deserves. He also dreams of training other vulnerable young people, offering them a better chance at life.
The Reading Improvement and Skills Enhancement (RISE) Technical Programme, part of World Vision’s commitment to building community resilience, is delivering its skills enhancement component to adolescents, including out-of-school youth, school dropouts, teenage mothers, children with disabilities, and those living in poverty. The initiative aims to improve employability, foster self-reliance, and provide alternative livelihood opportunities.
Clement’s story is a powerful reminder that, with the right support, even the most difficult circumstances can be transformed into a path towards hope and success. Thanks to World Vision, Clement is not merely surviving, he is thriving.
