Mary Danse Salifu grew up in a small village in northeastern Ghana as the daughter of farmers. Salifu’s father was so upset when one of her 18 siblings got pregnant in middle school and dropped out to get married, that he vowed not to waste any more money on education for his other daughters.
“I was passionate about my education, and always performed really well in class,” Salifu remembers. “Sister Cherry, a Baptist missionary in our village, paid my school fees, including hefty exam fees.” When Salifu was accepted into a top secondary school, she was moved to tears when her benefactor again paid for her fees and supplies.
Sister Cherry was not so happy, but supported me anyway,” she recalls. “By then, my father was willing to pay for my sixth form education that would eventually lead to university, but he could not afford it, and so I went to a teachers’ training college that paid a small allowance instead
Field of Research
Research for development in sustainable agriculture, climate change, gender, and women’s empowerment.