Create Jobs, Provide Hope for 23 Women in Ghana

Dear Global Mamas Supporters,

We are delighted to report that the past few months have been very successful for our Ashaiman Mamas. The products produced in Ashaiman are Spring weather apparel and they have been very popular. The Mamas have been extremely busy producing items such as the Girls’ Eli Dress, Women’s Peplum Blouse and Women’s Prairie Skirt for export to the US, Europe and Australia. Once we get through this busy season we hope to raise more funds to hire more seamstresses as the customer demand for our products is definitely exceeding what we can produce.

Thank you for your continued support!

Dear Global Mamas Supporters,

We are so thrilled to announce that since our last update we have been awarded a grant through the French Embassy in Ghana. Thanks to the grant, combined with your support, we have been able to make a strategic move of our Pram Pram production site into a larger house. Thanks to the increased space and funding we are close to our original goal of hiring 23 women and we have additional space to employ an addition 16 women. There’s no better way to say thank you than to show you some photos from the big move that was made possible due to your generosity. 

MOVING THE MACHINES INTO THE HOUSE

The move had to take place as quickly as possible to get production back under way. That meant all hands on deck, including some new neighborhood friends we picked up along the way.

BATIKERS EXPLORING THEIR NEW WORKSHOP

The batikers were very excited about their new space that shades them from the sun and allows for enough tables and dye basins to keep everyone busy at the same time.

SEAMSTRESSES IN THE NEW SEWING ROOM

The seamstresses were active in helping to arrange the sewing room in a manner that utilized the new space well while encouraging a communal work environment.

OTHER EXCITING DETAILS

With the additional funding we were able to purchase our own van to help transport women from their village in Pram Pram to the new production site in Ashaiman, a 30km trip. This helps to limit their outside costs associated with continuing to work with Global Mamas while providing a reliable way to get to and from work.

The new production site also has a room for the Quality Control team, an entire room for cutting and hallways filled with ironing tables. This encourages the team to move around and stay active throughout the work day. We are also working on arranging a nursery space for women who need to bring young children to work with them.

We are very excited about the room in the house that is currently empty, awaiting the funding for 14 more sewing machines and 2 batik stations. This will become our new training room where the newest seamstresses will create products for our Accra based gift shop while they learn the Global Mamas product line and our strict quality control standards.

We are very pleased to be sharing this news and we are grateful for your continued support in this growing endeavor.

Thank you from the entire Global Mamas team! 

Dear Global Giving Supporters,

There’s no better way to say thank you than to introduce you to three of the women who have directly benefited from your generosity. 

REGINA

Regina is 35 years old and lives in Pram pram with her mother, husband, and son Isaac. She is the second oldest child in her family and supports 7 family members with the income she earns from Global Mamas. She first heard about Global Mamas from two of her friends who have been with the organization for the past two years. Regina loves to sew urban explorer bags and babies crawling shoes.

Her dream is to support her son though school and higher education. She would also like to use the skills she learns from Global Mamas to open her own shop. For fun, Regina loves to dance the Azonto, a very popular dance in Ghana, and “chill at spots” on the weekend.

DORRA

Dorra is a new seamstress with Global Mamas and loves to sew the forever-popular retro dress. She lives in Pram pram with her husband. At 51 she still loves to sew, but prioritized raising her children for the majority of her adult live. Now that the kids are older, she was looking for a new challenge and found Global Mamas.

Dorra loves designing and sewing clothing for her costumers on the weekends, cooking, and spending time with her family. She hopes to save up enough to retire so that she can spend more time with her family.     

JOYCE

One day Joyce was walking to work when she noticed a bus load of women exit out of a van and walk into a large house in her neighborhood. Curious, the 27-year-old single mother asked one of the women what they were doing. She was told that they were batikers and seamstresses working with Global Mamas.

Joyce, also a seamstress, entered the building and inquired about a position. After some testing she was hired on the spot and now proudly sews high quality dresses. She lives with her mother and son, Evans Osei, in Ashaiman-Tema. Joyce dreams of buying her own land and building a house for her family. She would also like to open her own shop. You can often hear Joyce singing as she sews in the workshop. “I am happiest when I sing” she says. 

Thank you from the entire Global Mamas team! 

We are so pleased to announce that since our last update we’ve had the opportunity to promote two incredible women from within Global Mamas and create another new job. There’s no better way to say thank you than to introduce you to these three women who have directly benefited from your generosity. 

When the Prampram workshop opened, Global Mamas had Dorcas in mind for the important role of Quality Control Manager. She made the relocation to Prampram and is thriving in her new position.  She now oversees the entire quality control team in Prampram and is responsible for introducing new products to the Prampram seamstresses.

October 6, 2012 marks Dorcas’s six-year anniversary with Global Mamas and in December this year, she will receive a Diploma in Education from the University of Cape Coast. These accomplishments, along with her passion for sewing and strength to follow her dreams, exemplify what an outstanding woman Dorcas is.

With a background in sewing, Joyce is determined to establish herself in the fashion industry and continue building her skills.  She has recently begun pattern-making lessons and loves learning the technical aspects of sewing.

Antoinette lives with her Grandmother and six family members in Elmina. She dreams of having her own shop one day, but is currently saving up to go to school in fashion and design. 

These women come from different walks of life, are different ages and have different dreams, but they do have a common goal of improving the lives of themselves, their families and their communities. Thanks to your donation they are well on the way to achieving their personal and shared goals!

Thank you from the entire Global Mamas team!