Expanding Training & Micro-Loans to New Communities Thanks to YOU!
Agatha & Veronica, Kukubuso Group Leaders
Happy Holidays! Thank you to all who are reading this: your support this past year has made a tremendous difference to hundreds of families! We’ve shared the progress made by Madam Saudatu, Madam Felicia, and Madam Sandra, so we’d like to take the opportunity to step back and share more about the hundreds of other women that your support is helping by sharing a brief snapshot of some of our activities over the past three months.
Your support is making so much progress possible, from recognizing the leadership of groups who are maturing within our program through a Leadership summit, to offering ongoing advising and training to existing groups, to extending the micro-credit program to several new groups in the communities of Mansaso, Kwaso, Kukubuso and Ama Badu, Nyame Bekyere!
Leadership Summit
The summit was organized to honor hard-working groups and individuals. It also created a platform for stakeholders to share their experiences with the various programs and suggest ways for improvements. Thirty-five individuals and three communities were awarded special recognition. Categories of awards included Best Leadership, Best Community, and Best Utilization of Loans. The summit had exhibitions of items produced by some of the beneficiaries in the program. Items on display included farm produce such as cassava, plantain, palm oil, beads, and sandals. The final program was a skit that the mothers in the micro-credit program and their daughters in the Teen Girls Club acted out about the benefits to the whole family when mothers have access to credit and daughters are able to stay in school. It was a day where everyone came together and were inspired to go back and continue their work.
Victoria presented Merry Fredrick Leadership Award
In addition to recognizing the hard work of those we serve, Victoria Yamson, our Programs Coordinator, received the Merry Fredrick Leadership Award for her hard work, commitment, and dedication to women empowerment. The award is issued by members of the organization’s Board of Directors and the selection process is based on recommendations from staff and volunteers in Ghana, Nicaragua, and the US. Victoria is the second ever recipient of this prestigious leadership award.
Business and Credit Management Training for the Women of Mansaso
The SHI micro-credit officers visited the community of Manaso in August, and each beneficiary was asked to share a brief statement about their trading activities and how they assess profits from their businesses. The women were taught to separate their personal money from that of their businesses to ensure that they can determine their businesses profitability and adjust their practices accordingly. Strategies for saving were discussed and they were reminded that savings are the surest way to grow their businesses, pay for loans and also address future challenges.
Skit on how micro-credit benefits mothers & kids
Kwaso Learns Conflict Management Training
Later in August, the micro-credit team took the Kwaso micro-credit groups through conflict management training, based on reports from group leaders regarding challenges the groups were facing. Group members learned the importance of unity and dangers of prolonged conflicts. They also emphasized that each group member is important, and without unity, their projects can’t come to complete fruition. Roles and responsibilities of members and leaders were assigned, and each member promised to work with “love and respect towards one another.” They left the training feeling better and stronger groups. In Kwaso, Felicia shared the progress she is making on the two-bedroom home she is constructing, with much excitement.
Expanding Micro-Credit into Kukubuso
Our micro-credit programs had a visit from our Executive Director, Nora Tobin, and volunteers in August, and we introduced them to women in Kukubuso, one of the newest communities where we are working. Veronica and Agatha shared the story of how they learned about the micro-credit program from women in Beposo and Bedaabour and were so persistent in asking SHI to come to their village that finally, when funds were available for program expansion, Self-Help agreed to make the long trek over difficult roads to come to their community. The initial micro-credit groups were formed and capitalized. Then, after other women in the community began seeing the progress of their neighbors, they too requested to join the micro-credit program, and
Meeting ongoing & prospective members in Kukubuso
were taken through training.
In September, four new groups from Kukubuso, and three from Mansaso completed their training and received their initial loans. We are currently training women in the community of Nyame Bekyere on business and credit management, and will soon issue their first loans as well.
Thank you so much for your ongoing support, that allows us to say “yes!” to women like Veronica and Agnes and extend these simple, yet effective training sessions and micro-loans to more mothers and grandmothers working to ensure that their children have the best nutrition, education, and opportunities possible! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
