Breaking the Cycle of Violent Extremism: Daina’s Story of Economic Empowerment and Resistance

Despite Ghana’s overall stability, its northern regions face a growing threat. Across the border, violent extremist groups in the Sahel are gaining ground. Ghana’s shared porous border with Burkina Faso makes it increasingly vulnerable to spillover violence. Northern Ghana continues to experience a rising influx of victims of extremist attacks seeking refuge and creating additional stress on already vulnerable communities. The host community and refugee women face economic hardship, making them and their families more susceptible to radicalisation.

Kuusanang Daina is one of the women without access to a source of income. She needs to support her parents in Burkina Faso.  Due to her economic vulnerability, she was identified as one of the individuals at-risk of violent extremism to be trained in skills to increase her likelihood of employment. In 2024, she benefited from training by STAR Ghana foundation on   weaving, complemented by soft skills training on market skills, digital literacy, and strategies for preventing violent extremism. Her participation in the Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) further enhanced her financial resilience by providing a structured platform to save and manage her income effectively.

Within a year, she graduated as a master craftswoman. This livelihood training did not only improve her financial situation but also elevated her status within her household and community. In 2025, Daina returned to BRAVE II project not as a trainee, but as a trainer for the next cohort of beneficiaries. She is now leading the training of 12 women in weaving, sharing her knowledge and serving as a role model in her community.

“Just within this one year, there is a great change in my life and my family. I am now given more respect by my husband and women in the community. I came out to join BRAVE II as a master with greater ambitions of training more people with the knowledge I acquired in the BRAVE I on the importance of building community cohesion and empowering women. I am very honoured to have been selected to be a trainer for BRAVE II. It has really elevated my position in the community.” Daina’s journey from beneficiary to trainer features the sustainability of the BRAVE model and its ripple effect in building community resilience. Her story also reinforces the importance of sustained donor investment in grassroots empowerment and peacebuilding initiatives.