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Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

Hatching Success

Suzanne Friedman

When Kwabena Darko was a boy growing up in Ghana, his family was very poor. Every morning, he got up before sunrise to walk from door to door selling fruits and vegetables. "It was for survival," Darko told TFK. "I had to do the work to get something on the table."

Today, Darko is a successful businessman. He owns one of the largest farms in West Africa and employs hundreds of people. He worked hard to come so far. But he says, "I would never have been where I am without the help of a small loan."

Forty years ago, when Darko needed money to start his chicken farm, it was not easy to get a loan. He went to the bank and asked to borrow money but was turned away. Darko refused to give up, and eventually his persistence paid off. He was loaned a small sum of money to purchase his first 900 chickens. By selling the chickens' eggs, he was soon able to pay back the bank. From there, his business took off.

Darko never forgot how that loan changed his life. Working with Opportunity International, he has given out small loans to more than 100,000 people in Ghana. His clients have started bakeries, dress shops and schools for local kids.

One Hen, a new picture book based on Darko's story, hit stores this month. Author Katie Smith Milway wants kids to understand that a small loanóand one personócan make a big difference. "Children today have much more of a sense of the needs in the world," she says. "It's (important) to give them some answers and some ways to help."

Next: A Taste for Adventure