Business/Microfinance: Womens Trust

About Our Programs from WomensTrust Inc. on Vimeo.

***Like most, I believe that the way forward for our beloved Ghana is through enterprise –and the founder of Womens Trust, Dana Dakin [I thank God for her life] agrees. Please read the following for more information about this wonderful woman and the great work she and team Womens Trust -are doing for our sisters in Pokuase, Ghana.

"In 2003, to mark her 60th birthday and the beginning of the “give-back” stage of life, Dana Dakin traveled to Ghana, West Africa, with the express purpose of launching a microfinance program for women. From the perspective of 35 successful years as an entrepreneur servicing the investment field, microlending made sense as the most promising way to bring about real change. By providing access to capital directly to poor women, they could fuel the drive toward their own economic well-being as well as that of their families. The choice of Africa was the culmination of a college thesis on Pan-Africanism and a lifelong interest in the continent.

Today, WomensTrust is a 501(c)(3) organization showing seven years of success. With microfinance at the heart of its activities, and the essential additional components of education and healthcare integrated into the program, WomensTrust is a model to bring resources and community-based support directly to the developing world.

What is microfinance?
At the core of WomensTrust is microfinance, which has been called “the most effective tool to fight poverty ever invented .” Put on the map by Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank and winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, microfinance is now widely embraced as a powerful method for helping people climb out of poverty.

WomensTrust has over 1,000 loan clients – all women who own local businesses, with many struggling to make $2 per day. We ask them to form small groups in order to apply for individual loans. Each member of a group is responsible for repaying her own loan in addition to making sure the others do the same. Eligibility for the next, higher round of loans is based solely on timely and full repayment by their group.

Here is how the women use their loans.
Most of our clients make their living in the informal economy as hairdressers, bakers, seamstresses, and “petty” traders, selling goods from tables and tiny kiosks or carrying them from place to place. With WomensTrust capital, they are able to increase or diversify their inventories. They can buy in bulk, decreasing their time away from work traveling to buy supplies. Profits accrued are immediately invested in better nutrition, healthcare, and education for themselves and their children."

***To donate or learn more about Womens Trust, please visit: http://womenstrust.org/

Business: Combert Impressions [Ghana]

“Combert Impressions is a premium quality print service provider in Ghana. Established in 1995, Combert has a team of highly dedicated and skilled personnel who employ highly effective technology to ensure that the client always leaves Combert Impressions with much delight. As a leading print service provider in Ghana, our uniqueness is built on our ability to understand what the client’s needs are and engaging our expertise and technology to provide services that exceeds their expectations. We view our clients as partners and seek to build lasting relationships with them which would be mutually rewarding.......Operating from its exquisite offices in Accra, Combert Impressions has positioned itself as a full service provider, offering design, editorial and print services to our clients. Our products include the printing of books, corporate stationery, magazines, newsletters, research reports, publicity/promotional materials, funeral stationery and others.........We welcome you to our website and we hope to partner with you in future.” www.combertimpressions.com

**Combert Impressions is another fabulous business at the very top of its game –and truly worth checking out! Founded by Albert and Comfort Ocran in 1995, -Combert Impressions is a cutting-edge printing company based in Accra, Ghana, -providing printing solutions for: books, research reports, corporate stationery and literature: letterheads, call cards, brochures, annual reports & journals, calendars & Christmas cards, magazines & newsletters; and folders & files, publicity and promotional materials: posters, banners, tickets handbills / flyers stickers, funeral stationery: commemorative booklets, posters, invitation cards and receipt books. For contact details please see below:

Combert Impressions
P. O. Box AN 6816
Accra, Ghana
House No. E 169/9, Sunyani
Avenue, Kanda
Accra
Tel: +233 21 240557, 246727
Tel: +233 24 690048
Fax +233 21 246727
Email: info@combertimpressions.com
Website: http://combertimpressions.com/

***P.s Albert and Comfort Ocran are also the wonderful people behind Legacy & Legacy –a body that specializes in Motivational Speaking and Consulting services. For more information visit: http://legacyandlegacy.com.gh/

Ghana Rising Hearts Kanya King…

King is the youngest girl of nine children (seven girls and two boys). Her father, Christian, was a labourer of Ghanaian descent, and her mother, Mary, was a nurse of Irish descent.
In her early days King attended South Kilburn High School in London, proceeding to study English and Drama at Goldsmiths College in South London. Her father died when she was aged just 13, and to help financially she managed various jobs from working in a bakery to running her own promotional company supplying people for market research.
King obtained a position with Carlton Television as a senior researcher where she was a founding member and part of the production team on the Chrystal Rose Show.
She began to develop the successful Music Of Black Origin (MOBO) awards show in January 1996, and ended up financing the first event by re-mortgaging her house. It was only when she obtained a television slot a few weeks before the event that she realised that it was all becoming real. The first MOBO Awards were held at the New Connaught Rooms in London. The 2008 MOBO Awards Show was broadcast live from Wembley Arena on BBC Three and repeated three days later on BBC One. The show was shown in 57 countries. The 14th international MOBO Awards Show was held in Glasgow's SECC on September 30 2009 with performances by N-Dubz, JLS and Kelly Rowland with David Guetta. A television audience of 300,000 watched the live broadcast on BBC Three.
King is a consultant to a number of Government initiatives for disadvantaged youth including the Home Office Task Force to reduce gun violence. She is a patron of the Horniman Museum, and founder member of Net Women, an influential body of high profile women in the media. [credit:www.en.wikipedia.org]

**To be honest –our kanya transcends fashion or style or whatever –for me. Alongside media guru -Oprah Winfrey, American Vogue editor –Anna Wintour, legal eagle -Margaret Casely-Hayford, Michelle Obama –the ‘First Lady’ of America and uber stylista - Genevieve Jones [and some of the other iconoclastic females on both my blogs] –I truly don’t care what they wear. They can all wear bin liners and I would continue to love, admire and be in awe of them. Inspirational, beautiful and strong –Kanya’s business sense continues to inspire me. But thankfully she is also a stylish woman. Just check out her style; that beautiful clear skin, her youthful hair, impeccable grooming, the ‘one off’ dresses and that smile –go Kanya….

Business: Interims for Development [Recruitment for Africa]

“We assist private, public and non-governmental sector employers in Africa and the UK through a range of employment and training solutions designed to build management, leadership and professional skills and to enhance good governance…… We provide professional Interim Managers for short-term technical, project and training support within Africa. We also provide Career Management and Employment Training and Coaching services to facilitate professional employment opportunities for people of African and minority ethnic descent in the UK.” www.interimsfd.com
Ghanaian business woman Frances Williams

Interims for Development is a privately held UK-based company established by African professionals in response to the expressed need by African countries for capacity building as a key requirement for sustainable development.

Interims for Development was established in 2002 by Frances Williams, a Human Resources Management and Training Professional with almost 20 years’ industry and consultancy experience in Europe and Africa.Interims operates in partnership with a network of experienced Associates including Trainers, Consultants and Interim Managers from across a wide range of professional backgrounds.

Our Associates and Interims are well placed to promote international best practice in people management and development within the operating and cultural context of Africa today.

Interims for Development has built a strong reputation as an innovative and successful organization emanating from the African Diaspora. Our contribution to capacity building in Africa has been recognized with the 2005 Gold Award for Innovative Capacity Building at the British awards of the GWIIN (Global Women Inventors and Innovators Network). For more information please Visit: www.interimsfd.com

*Note: Frances Williams is also the brains behind, ReconnectAfrica.

Business: Investing in Ghana made easier by GIPC

“The GIPC co-ordinates and monitors all investment activities falling under Act 478 and assist both domestic and foreign investors in:
Initiating and supporting measures that will, enhance the investment climate in the country for both Ghanaian and non-Ghanaian companies.
Promoting investments in and outside Ghana through effective promotion.
Collecting, collating, analysing and disseminating information about investment opportunities and sources of investment capital, and advising on the availability, choice or suitability of partners in joint-venture projects” www.gipcghana.com


I have just stumbles across an exciting website (-and as you know , if it benefits Ghana then you will see it here) -and the site in question is www.gipcghana.com. This websites offers a comprehensive; 'one-stop-shop' of information, -on investing in Ghana, and if their claims are right -then this website is a 'first stop' on your business journey into investing (or setting up a business) in Ghana.They can help with; Cotton and Textile, Agro-Processing, Cash Crops, Ethnic Beauty Products, Floriculture, Financial Services, Fine and Custom Jewellery, Transport Services, Seafood Processing, Property Development, Tourism, Ceramics, Furniture and Wood Processing, Information Technology/Electronics, Apparel and Hand Tools. I haven't had the chance to get in touch with the good people at, GIPC (Ghana Investment Promotion Centre) -but do keep your eyes out for more information from GIPC in the not too distant future (-as I will endeavour to get an interview and samples of the businesses they have helped etc). So for more investment opportunities or information on GIPC, the contacts are as follows:

Location Address
Investment House,
1 Gulf Street , Airport West
Gulf House Premises
Tetteh Quarshie Interchange, Accra
Telelphone / Fax
Tel: +233 21 521238 to 9
Fax: +233 21 506205 or 506207
Website: www.gipcghana.com

Hair & Beauty: Afrotherapy.com

If you are a busy bee, -you'll love Afrotherapy.com -a fabulous online retailer that stocks quality beauty and hair products -run by Harriet Kessie -an award winning hairdresser and business woman. Afrotherapy carries all the best luxury brands like; IMAN Cosmetics, Joico K-Pak, KeraCare, Mizani, PhytoSpecific and many more. I am loving the, 'Mizani Complete Haircare Kit' (£44.60) offer - it contains (Botanifying Shampoo, FulFyl Conditioning Treatment, Rose H20 Conditioning Hairdress and Rose H20 Intense Night Time Treatment) and is available from: http://www.afrotherapy.com/