WOM's 2023 Success Story_ Dapoore Women's Soap Making Journey - womgh.org

WOM’s 2023 Success Story: Dapoore Women’s Soap Making Journey

by 2023 Success StoryEconomic EmpowermentSuccess Story

The Dapoore Women’s group was one of the group that benefit from the black soap and business management training with support fromthe KGL foundation.

The group discovered, while undergoing training on record-keeping and profit determination, that they were facing losses in their bar soap-making business—a realization that took them by surprise. Additionally, they found that the profit margin from their black soap production fell short of the industry standard.

Upon investigating the cause, they identified a crucial issue: despite having a scale, they rarely utilized it to measure raw materials and final products, resulting in uneven soap weights that often exceeded the intended target. Consequently, they continued selling the soap at the regular price, unaware of the discrepancies, leading to their financial losses.

Upon rectifying this by incorporating the scale in their subsequent production processes, their profits surged by 20%.

It is worth noting that, this group was one of the few ones that continued to produce bar soap before the training on black soap and business management training when most of the others had stopped due to losses. They kept injecting capital into their soap-making business not realising that it was not profitable until the training. The group is now more united and has proceeded to keep records for their other businesses too.

WOM's 2023 Success Story_ Baamah Harvesting Success - womgh.org

WOM’s 2023 Success Story: Baamah Harvesting Success

by 2023 Success StoryEconomic EmpowermentSuccess Story
  • Our Success Story 1 for 2023 project is Baamah Nauh
  • This Success was achieved in collaboration with ActionAid Ghana

Baamah Nauh, a 47-year-old member of the Sakote women’s group in the Nabdam district is a farmer, pito breeder, and a mother of six children—2 girls and 4 boys.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of benefiting from a number of interventions, which include sensitizations, training, and participation in group farming initiatives. This sense of belonging has allowed me to share my experiences, learn from other women, and actively participate in the VSLA, enabling me to save for the future. In 2022 and 2023, WOM/AAG supported our group in organizing a demonstration on tilled and untilled land to find a climate-smart and cost-effective approach to farming. The knowledge gained from these activities motivated me to implement these new farming practices on my maize farm. Dividing one acre into two equal parts, tilling one part and leaving the other untilled. The results were remarkable—4 bags of maize from the untilled land and 3 bags from the tilled land.

Baamah Nauh

In 2023, she participated in an Agric business management training organized by WOM/AAG. It focused on record-keeping and marketing. The training enlightened her on better financial management practices.

Previously, I used to spend the money from selling pito without proper record-keeping. The training emphasized the importance of recording expenses, enabling me to calculate my true profit.

Now, I can save up to 50 Ghana cedis, a significant improvement from before. This newfound financial discipline has allowed me to purchase more raw materials for my pito business, turning my initial three bowls of malt into seven, ultimately enhancing the growth of my business.

WOM's 2023 Success Story_ Gaan Mbabil's Journey of Empowerment - womgh.org

WOM’s 2023 Success Story: Gaan Mbabil’s Journey of Empowerment

by 2023 Success StorySuccess StoryWomen's Human Rights
  • Our Success Story 1 for 2023 project is a journey of Gaan Mbabi
  • This Success was achieved in collaboration with ActionAid Ghana

In the village of Tagore-Sakori, Gaan Mbabil’s journey epitomized the transformative power of women’s empowerment initiatives. Initially silenced by tradition and expectation, Gaan found her voice within the vibrant energy of the Yagzore women’s group and WOM/AAG’s empowering programs. As she listened to tales of resilience, Gaan shed her reservations, becoming a vocal advocate for gender equality and women’s rights. With newfound courage, she engaged her husband in discussions, gradually dismantling gender barriers at home and sharing household responsibilities.

Gaan’s transformation extended beyond advocacy. Stepping into leadership roles, she became Vice-Chairperson of her community’s PTA, championing parental involvement in education. Her dedication earned praise from the school’s headteacher, highlighting her as a beacon of empowerment. Gaan’s story embodies the potential of women’s empowerment initiatives to drive meaningful change. Through resilience and commitment, she not only transformed her life but also became an inspiration for her community, demonstrating the profound impact of empowered women leading the charge for progress.

transformed her life but also became an inspiration for her community, demonstrating the profound impact of empowered women leading the charge for progress.

2024 International Widows' Day Address by Ms. Fati (Executive Director of WOM) - womgh.org

2024 International Widows’ Day Address by Ms. Fati (Executive Director of WOM)

by International Widows DaySpeech
  • Below is the speech delivered by our executive director at this year’s edition of the International Widows Day Celebration

Honorable chair, Mma Ayara Memorial Institute, heads of department, other CSOs and NGOs present, media, magnanimous widows, ladies and gentlemen.
It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the commemoration of International Widows’ Day 2024. This year, the Widows and Orphans Movement (WOM) is collaborating with the Mma Ayara’s Memorial Institute to mark the day on the theme ‘The role of mothers in the education
of children: Lessons from the life history of Mma Ayara Atampugre’

This theme is timely, vital and resonates deeply with WOM’s educational thematic area. Mothers are often the first educators in a child’s life. They are the nurturers, the caregivers, and the role models who lay the foundation for their children’s growth and development. In the case of Widows, they also take on the role of primary breadwinners and sole guardians. Their dedication, resilience, and unwavering love provide the stability and encouragement that children need to thrive academically and personally.

Today, we gather to celebrate the incredible strength and influence of mothers. We acknowledge their indispensable role in education—not just in terms of formal schooling, but in imparting values, fostering curiosity, and nurturing a love for learning. We recognize that education extends beyond the classroom and that mothers play a crucial role in creating a supportive and enriching environment where children can dream, explore, and achieve their potential.

Unfortunately, many mothers that have become widowed have to navigate the complexities of single parenthood. The loss of a partner often brings significant financial, emotional, and social challenges. They find themselves having to make the difficult decision of migrating to other areas where they can sell their labour for income or food. This means that the children are left to nurture, care, become breadwinners, etc. themselves. According to the Ghana National
Household registry in 2018 and 2019, over 57% of children (66,520, 42,218) not in school in the Upper East and Upper West regions of Ghana are boys. Whiles this data does not go further to ascertain the percentage of these children who are orphans or have a mother that is widowed.
The data is alarming, and we should all be worried.

While WOM in collaboration with the Mma Ayara’s memorial Institute is committed to supporting these courageous women. We recognise that, the government needs to do better in rolling out and or implementing social protection policies to break the cyclical poverty these families experience. This country cannot afford to leaving anyone behind.

As we delve into today’s discussions learning from Mma Ayara’s life, let us remember the profound impact that empowered mothers can have on the educational journeys of their children. Let us explore ways to strengthen our support systems, create more opportunities, and advocate for policies that recognize and uplift the vital role of mothers in education.

On behalf of the board, management, staff and gallant widows and orphans who continue to rise against the odds, welcome.