AFRICA | Despite losing both parents during her academic journey, Laadi Salifu, a young Ghanaian woman, has defied all odds to graduate with a Master of Arts in Social Justice and Equity Studies from Brock University in Canada.
Hailing from a region where educating girls is often discouraged, Salifu’s journey began with her mother’s courageous decision to defy societal norms. Against her father’s wishes, her mother enrolled her in school.
Salifu faced immense challenges, waking up at 3 a.m. daily to help on her family’s cocoa farm, walking long distances to school, and selling kola nuts along the way to afford lunch. At night, she studied by the dim light of a kerosene lamp, often with her mother by her side.
Unfortunately, her mother passed on, but her educational journey continued when she moved to Accra to live with her uncle and learn English. With her uncle’s unwavering support, Salifu excelled in high school and pursued higher education.
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She earned a bachelor’s degree in Community-Based Rehabilitation and Disability Studies at the University of Education, Winneba, in Ghana.
Volunteering in underserved communities through Voluntary Service Overseas Ghana ignited Salifu’s passion for social change. While working in remote schools with no electricity or water, she encountered children with disabilities excluded from education due to stigma.
These experiences inspired her to specialize in inclusive education and disability studies.
Salifu’s path to Brock University was not without setbacks. She began her studies one semester late due to visa delays, and within a month of arriving in Canada, her father passed away.
Suddenly, she found herself responsible for her seven younger siblings. Drawing strength from Brock University’s supportive community of colleagues, professors, and staff, Salifu navigated these challenges with resilience.
While at Brock, she excelled academically and professionally. She helped organize the 2023 Niagara Social Justice Forum and took additional classes to deepen her understanding of policymaking.
She completed her major research paper, comparing inclusive education practices in Ghana and Canada. Her work aimed to identify lessons Ghana could adopt to improve accessibility and equity in education.
In addition to her studies, Salifu completed a co-op placement with Brain Injury and Community Re-entry in Niagara. She now works as a full-time rehabilitation counselor there while serving as a teaching assistant at Brock’s Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies.
“It all boils down to policy and decision-making at the top. Without government policies to support inclusive education, it will remain a distant dream,” she said.
Salifu attributes her success to her mother’s determination, her uncle’s unwavering belief in her, and her perseverance.
“I strive to make my mom proud because she fought for me every day to ensure I could go to school. I also want to honor my uncle, who brought me from the village to the city; without him, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Salifu said.
”I want to show him that the little girl he believed in is not only capable of succeeding but excelling. I want to achieve this for him,” she added.
Reflecting on her uncle’s influence, Salifu posted an emotional tribute on LinkedIn. “I keep looking at this picture and wondering what my uncle saw in me that made him put his resources and credibility on the line,” she wrote.
Salifu said that when her mother died during her first month at university, he told her to channel her pain into making her proud Also, when she arrived in Canada and lost her father 26 days later, her uncle reminded her that she was there for a purpose.
”I have over the years trusted every single decision you make in my life and will be making. You have been my father, mother, counselor, teacher, and even sometimes boyfriend because if I need someone to cry on I call to cry on you,” Salifu said.
Looking ahead, Salifu plans to pursue a PhD focusing on leadership and policy development to advocate for inclusive education reforms in Ghana.
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