The St. John of God Clinic in Amrahia, Accra, Ghana, launched the Women's Economic Empowerment project in Koose District, Accra, Ghana, in 2018. This project is driven by primary health nurses who regularly visit communities near the clinic, where they identified a high number of single mothers with children suffering from malnutrition.
For this reason, the Brothers of St. John of God decided to create this project, which empowers women through workshops for the production of beads for sale, allowing them to have employment and income to improve their families' lives. This project is supported by Juan Ciudad NGO and, due to its success, will continue. It also aims to be replicated in other African countries where the Hospitaller Order is present. This video was produced by the African Province of St. Augustine of the Hospitaller Order in Ghana.
Wuanita Atiogbe, a project beneficiary, says she decided to attend the workshops to take advantage of the time she used to spend at home. Gina Seyram Senanu, another beneficiary, explains that she learned that the clinic offered this activity and went there, where she was selected. She finds it very useful because she is learning ways to improve her small business. Susana Agyare, another mother participating in the project, says she was unemployed and learned about the program during a visit to the clinic, and decided to enroll.
Marian Adeyemi, project manager at the San Juan de Dios Clinic, explains that primary health nurses recognized the need to support these women's development when they began visiting communities to conduct maternal and child health checks on women and children: "So we trained the nurses to teach these workshops on making beads, necklaces, bracelets, keychains... Now, many women are already making their own products, and we have given them support so they can start a small business in their communities."
The workers at the San Juan de Dios Clinic in Amrahia saw that many of the women who came to them lacked financial resources or jobs, and had several children in their care who suffered from malnutrition. Therefore, the Brothers of San Juan de Dios decided to launch this project, promoted by the workers at the Amrahia Clinic, with the goal of empowering these women in their communities and teaching them how to make necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. This project would help them feel they could do something useful for themselves, highlighting their work and skills, and providing them with an income to cover their family's basic needs.
Brother Paulinus Toh Kisam, Provincial Secretary of the African Province of Saint Augustine of Saint John of God, states, "We are now also trying to make these women and their products known both locally and even outside of Ghana." For Valentine Kwaku Bruku, administrator of the African Province of Saint Augustine, given the success of the project, which has been warmly received by the women who have benefited from it, "the Hospitaller Order would like to be able to replicate it in other Saint John of God centers in other countries."
News: Adriana Castro. Juan Ciudad NGO Communications.
Video: African Province of St. Augustine - Hospitaller Order of St. John of God - SJD Clinic of Amrahia, Ghana
Source: Juan Ciudad NGO Projects Department
