iDE’s ’40 Under 40′ campaign is an inspiring initiative that highlights 40 exceptional entrepreneurs under 40 who are making a significant impact in their communities while fighting against poverty. One such trailblazer is Adam Adamu, a pioneering leader in sanitation entrepreneurship who is defying norms in the male-dominated industry in northern Ghana. 

Adamu’s inspiring journey began in 2018 when she became the first woman to own and operate a toilet business through Sama Sama, the sanitation brand established by iDE in northern Ghana. But her work goes beyond just business; she’s driven by the desire to provide an essential service to her community, empower other women, and be a role model for her daughter.

If Adam has her way, more women in rural Ghana would be entrepreneurs like her. Adam oversees every step of her latrine businesses from sale to installation and despite cultural and religious norms that typically hold women back, her business is thriving.

Adam became the first woman toilet business owner to work with Sama Sama, iDE’s social enterprise in northern Ghana, but she hopes to inspire many more.

“We should learn to be independent,” said Adam. “We should learn to go out and work.” As a woman and a devout Muslim, Adam found her relationships with customers and workers to be uniquely challenging. Some did not trust that she could complete the job and others refused to respect her authority as the “boss.” But despite the challenges, her business and customer base have been growing and she encourages other women to follow her lead. “I am now very independent. I don’t look up to anybody,” said Adam. “God willing I can stand alone and do whatever I want.”

iDE established Sama Sama in 2016 and continues to encourage greater participation of women like Adam in the sanitation value chain through the recruitment, engagement, and training of diverse private sector sales and production teams.

You can watch her in action in a video here.

Why is this important? Here are some compelling stats about Adamu’s sanitation efforts in Ghana:

• In 2014, only 9.6% of households in rural Ghana had an improved, unshared toilet facility. 11.5% were using open pits, which do not separate human waste from the environment and human exposure; 44.5% were sharing facilities; and 34.4% had no facility at all.
• The consequences are clear: globally, more children die from diarrheal disease than from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. The ambitious goal set by the United Nations to address this, Sustainable Development Goal 6.2, calls for universal access to safely managed sanitation services by 2030. Women like Adam Adamu are working hard to see that goal achieved.

In her business, Adam manages a team of 10, overseeing toilet construction and heavy installations. Despite challenges stemming from cultural and religious norms, Adam employs family members and has delegated tasks such as digging pits, moving rings, and transporting materials to ensure smooth operations.

iDE’s “40 Under 40” campaign aims to shine a light on remarkable individuals like Adamu, showcasing how innovative business solutions can help tackle poverty and create a lasting impact on marginalized communities. By empowering female entrepreneurs like Adamu, iDE emphasizes its commitment to driving social change and progress towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.