From the Shrine to the Church: Grace Astisto's Journey Through Faith, Suffering and Self-Reliance

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INTERVIEW 

From the Shrine to the Church: Grace Astisto's Journey Through Faith, Suffering and Self-Reliance

An oral history from Dzodze, as told to AWO – Dufe Voice


By Dufe Edor | Student Journalist, Filmmaker and Founder of Dufe Voice


This week, I sat down with Grace Astisto, a woman from Dzodze in Ghana's Volta Region, to talk about the life  she has lived. It began with a childhood of farming and hardship, then a dramatic turn from the shrine to the church, and finally the trade and independence she built with her own hands.


Her story is not a polished one. It is told the way she told it to me: in her own words, carrying the weight of a generation that suffered so the next one could stand.

A Hard Beginning

Grace was born into a family of five children. Two of her siblings did not survive. Her parents, like many in that generation, could not afford to send their children to school. When the children reached a certain age, they were given to the shrine to serve the gods, a tradition passed down through the community.

"When they gave birth to us, farming was one of the hardest parts of our lives. Our parents refused to send us to school to study, not even the lowest parts of education."

Leaving the Shrine

It was at the shrine that Grace's path diverged from what was expected of her.

"I saw that my creator is God Almighty, so I gave my life to him and left the shrine for the church, to follow Christ."

She describes the years since as a story of doors opening. For her, the conversion was more than a change of religious practice. It became the foundation for how she understands suffering, work and worth.

Building a Life With Her Own Hands

After leaving the shrine, Grace trained as an apprentice seamstress until she could work on her own. She remembers telling her father she would not marry until she had built her own house, and in time she did. She sees this not as pride but as a lesson in self-reliance.

"When you learn how to work on your own, it grows with you, it stays with you. You move with it, and you will not depend on anyone to survive."

A Word to the Youth

In the closing part of our conversation, Grace speaks directly to young people. She contrasts her own upbringing, when she says she never knew "what was called a man" until well into her twenties, with what she sees today. In her view, many young people move quickly from one relationship to another, and she links this to the spread of illness. Her message is that they should be disciplined and self-sufficient and honour their parents' example.

"Do not put your hope into anyone. Take care of yourself, for the sickness is too much. When we work, we do it for ourselves, and we won't depend on anyone to eat."

She sums up her message like this: work with your hands, help your parents in the work they already do, and live in a way that lets you stand without leaning on anyone else.

Reflection

What stays with me is not just the move from shrine to church, but the thread underneath it: a woman given very little by circumstance who built a framework for dignity out of faith and labour. Whatever you believe about religion or tradition, her central claim travels across belief systems. Self-reliance, earned patiently, lets a person stand upright through suffering.

Lessons Behind the Story

  • Faith can become an anchor through generational hardship and limited opportunity.
  • Leaving traditional shrine practice for Christianity is a real, personal turning point for many people, not a casual choice.
  • A trade or skill is a form of dignity, not just economic necessity.
  • Grace sees discipline and patience in relationships as protective, not restrictive.
  • Helping your parents in their work is part of building your own independence.

Over to You

  • What does self-reliance mean in your family or community, and where did you first learn it?
  • Have you or someone you know faced a moment where leaving a tradition felt like the only way forward?
  • How should young people balance honouring their elders' path with building their own?
  • What role has faith, or its absence, played in how your community responds to hardship?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

the AWO – Dufe Voice series. Follow @Dufevoice for more stories. Contact: dufestories@gmail.com | dufevoice@gmail.com | 


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