Women’s Empowerment
VAM believes that women’s education and empowerment are fundamental to the development of African nations. The people of Africa believe in the values of open inalienable human rights, and wish to lift future generations out of sickness, poverty and war.
Girls in Crisis and Micro-Finance are centered on poverty alleviation. The specific focus is on vulnerable females such as, school drop outs, teen mothers and the sexually exploited who have been identified within the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis of Ghana.
Girls in Crisis Project
Vulnerable females such as, teenage mothers, commercial sexually exploited and school drop outs have been identified within the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis of Ghana. Initial number of participants was 23, but now has grown to 165.
These participants are being assisted to acquire employable skills, such as hair dressing, dressmaking, batik tie/dye, soap making and bead making.
For the past two years, VAM has sponsored about 500 women from the Northern part of Ghana to acquire skills in basket weaving.
These baskets are produced in large quantity and then brought down to Accra and other part of Ghana for commercial purposes. It is very wonderful and amazing talking to these women how they feel about the project.
Through this outreach program, most women are now able to provide food for their family and themselves. They are also able to send their children to school for quality education. As a result, most children of such communities love to be in school as compared to the former situation. They can also now afford the cost of health care for their family especially children.
In 2013, ten (10) participants graduated from Aseda Beauty Salon and each was presented with a Certificate and a set of pedicure and manicure equipment valued at GH₵ 1,000 ($360).
After the participants have finished the three year training, they should be loaned the startup capital and equipment for their respective trade.
Micro Finance Project
14 women entrepreneurs from Sunyani have been assisted with resources to boost their businesses. 10 of the women, who are basically petty traders of soap and bead makers, were assisted with GH₵ 200 each. Four women who produce locally made textiles (batik, tie/dye) were given GH₵ 400.00 each to improve their business.
These loans are to be repaid within 12 months at an interest of 10%. This arrangement is to ensure that the women are able to repay the program with little difficulty. The funding is revolving and will be rolled over to other beneficiaries as loans and interest and repaid.
