This expansion entails enrolling graduates of the mentoring program in the schools of their choics at the end of their stay at the correctional homes. This is to keep them focused on education to prevent them from engaging in activities that might be in conflict with the law.

Afia is the first graduate of the Ghana Women’s Voices mentoring program, who has ended her stay at the correctional facility. She is now enrolled in Opportuinities Industralization Centre (OIC) in Kumasi, a school of her choice. For the last 45 years, OIC International has been at the front lines in their effort to fully develop Africa’s workforce through quality and market driven workforce development training and job placement.  Their  mission is to alleviate poverty through developing a trained and employable workforce with skills to work in many of the key and critical core focus sectors; Agriculture, Customer service or retail, Health, Vocational Training (construction trade and infrastructure; auto repairs; hospitality management; fashion design; office administration)

Afia has just completed her first term of two years in her study in Fashion and Design. Ghana Women’s voices had a phone interview with her on the 14^th of January, 2015  to listen to her experience during her first term in school. She expressed great delight to be enrolled in Opportunities Industrialization Centre (OIC). She is glad she made a good choice because the environment is welcoming and she is pleased to be studying her dream course Fashion and Design. She is convinced at the end of the course she can make a living for herself through dressmaking. She aspires to be one of the best fashion designers in Ghana.

She also expressed her gratitude to GWV Foundation for  their overwhelming  support towards her which includes mentoring her, paying her school fees, providing her accommodation and food as part of her educational package.

The post Ghana Women’s Voices Beyond The Remand Home first appeared on Ghana Womens Voices.

On Saturday 6^th February, 2016 GWV Foundation paid Ruth a visit to her school, Social Welfare Vocational Training and Rehabilitation Institute (SWVIRI) when she had only spent a week there. During our visit, we encouraged her to take her academics seriously. We also listened to her experiences and how she is adapting to her new environment. Surprisingly, Ruth is very comfortable in her school as she has made a number of friends who are helping her catch up with academics because she was on late admission. We also had a conversation with her teachers and told them to give her all the necessary attention that would enable her graduate one day as a Fashion designer.

GWV Foundation again paid for all other expenses that would enable Ruth pursue her Fashion and Design course in comfort. As we left, Ruth promised GWV that she would not let our effort to impact her life positively be wasted. Thank you GWV was her farewell message to us.

The post Beyond the Correctional  Facility Visiting with Ruth first appeared on Ghana Womens Voices.

Ghana Women’s Voices Foundation (GWV), Beyond The Remand Home Project is getting bigger. Ruth is another graduate of GWV mentoring, numeracy and literacy program at the Osu girls correctional facility and as GWV has expanded its projects to now enroll the girls into schools of their choices at the end of their stay at the correctional facility, the road to a brighter future has been set for Ruth.

Ruth has just ended her five years stay at the correctional facility and during her stay GWV mentored and taught her to achieve basic literacy. Now her stay is over and she has gone back to her village. According to research, most girls from Ruth’s community hardly finish their junior high education because they end up as teen mothers. For Ruth not to be a victim of this undesirable occurrence in her community, GWV quickly arranged with her probation officer and enrolled her in a school of her choice.

On Monday, 25^th of January, 2016. GWV made all necessary arrangements which included paying her school and feeding fees, providing her with all the items on her prospectus, paying for her accommodation and giving her enough money for upkeep. Now,  Ruth has  started a fashion  course (dressmaking and tailoring) at the Social Welfare Vocational Training and Rehabilitation Institute (SWVIRI) in Somanya. This school has been in existence for the past forty years and most of the past students are living satisfactory and independent lives. In three years time, Ruth would end her fashion course and the future that awaits her is brighter.

The post A Promising Future for Ruth first appeared on Ghana Womens Voices.

What is next after we  leave the remand home?

Would our families and communities accept us back into their lives?

How do we face our classmates, we left behind knowing that they are far ahead of us now?

These questions have been of great concern to these girls, but many people have  thought of these emotional traumas the girls go through daily?

This is  what GWV has found out and provided solutions to. It is BEYOND THE REMAND HOME PROJECT. It is a project which supports the girls by providing them with quality education, after they have left the remand home.

Janet is a young girl who has just ended her stay at the Osu girls correctional facility. To facilitate her reintegration into the society, GWV quickly liaised with her probation officer and family and enrolled her in the social welfare vocational and training institute in somanya. Janet is currently studying a three year programme in dressmaking. She does not have to worry about the concerns above any more as she has been taken out of her community.

GWV paid her school, accomodation and feeding fees. Janet and her family were so grateful

This is what GWV does to ensure that outside the walls of the remand home amidst the emotional trauma, there is still hope.

Ghana Women’s Voices Foundation Impacting the lives of women positively!!!

The post Hope, After The Remand Home first appeared on Ghana Womens Voices.