President's Message

Jennifer Appling, President

Happy New Year! 2023 is off to a wonderful start as we assess our achievements in 2022. Schools are back in session after the pandemic. 2022 produced 5 graduates from our Sewing School in the slums of Accra in the City of God, and one student from KNUST. Our headmaster at our Tailoring School in Accra/Jamestown has been hoping for the past year to expand the number of students from 6 to 12 and, thanks to our wonderful donors and the success of our Raise ‘N Graze Brunch in November, we are not only able to increase the number of students from 6 to 12 (with all the startup fees that requires), we are also able to replace the open spot at KNUST in addition to supporting 2 additional students there. We will now be supporting four (4) young women at the university in Kumasi. We couldn’t do it without you. Thank you and God bless you for supporting us and our ministry. We are truly looking forward to this year of 2023!

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WHY EDUCATE GIRLS?

• Educating girls is critical to improving their lives.
• The average girl in Ghana only receives 4 years of education.
• Early marriage, pregnancy, poverty, and sexual harassment are all obstacles that force girls to drop out of school before the end of junior high.
• When educated, girls are likely to marry later and have fewer children.
• An educated mother will send her children to school and the ripple effect continues with generations to come.
• Domestic abuse also declines when girls are educated.
• There is no better mission for us than to help give a step up to these girls who would not get the opportunity to further their education.

"There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up."- John Holmes

Central Region of Ghana - Students at KNUST

Kumasi is a city in the Ashanti Region, and is among the largest metropolitan areas in Ghana. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region near Lake Bosomtwe, and is the commercial, industrial, and cultural capital of the historical Ashanti Empire. Kumasi is alternatively known as "The Garden City" because of its many species of flowers and plants in the past. Kumasi is the second-largest city in Ghana, after the capital, Accra. There is a significant timber processing community in Kumasi serving the domestic market.

Upper East Region of Ghana - Women InSpirit Tailoring

Bolgatanga colloquially known as Bolga, is a town and the capital of the Bolgatanga Municipal District and Upper East Region of Ghana, adjacent to the border with Burkina Faso. Bolgatanga has a population of about 66,685 people. Bolgatanga is about 100 miles to the north of Tamale. Bolgatanga lies in the Red Volta River Valley (which serves as a major migration route of elephants), with the White Volta River and the cliffs of the Gambaga Escarpmentto. the south of the town forming the southern boundary of the Upper East Region.

"May God break my heart so completely that the whole world falls in."

- Mother Teresa

Shade Adongo, who will turn 13 on February 15, is our youngest student. She is in 7th grade at Best Brains Academy and after school attends our sewing school in Bolgatanga. Shade loves school and also loves learning to sew!

Five of our 14 students at WIS Tailoring School in Bolgatanga graduated and we are very proud of their achievement. (Zuliya, Leticia, Cynthia, Becky, and Esther) Each girl received a certificate from the NGATD (Nat'l Ghana Association of Tailors and Dressmakers) and a sewing machine.

Melisah Akonga, 25, completed her classes at Bolgatanga Technical University in 2021 with a diploma in Procurement and Logistics Management. She has completed her year of National Service. Like many young girls (and boys). it is difficult to find employment, so, while she searches for a job, she sells phone credits on the street. She is hoping to save to continue her education to the next level. Melisah is our Junior Partner in Bolgatanga. She communicates with the school there, pays salaries and stipends on our behalf, and oversees all transactions. She also helps us to choose baskets and sends them to us.

All donations are tax-deductible and 100% of the profits go toward our mission of educating young women.

JayNii Streetwise Fashion Skill Training - located in Accra

Located directly east of the Korle Lagoon, Jamestown and Usshertown are the oldest districts of Accra, Ghana and emerged as communities around the 17th century British James Fort and Dutch Ussher Fort on the Gulf of Guinea coast.These districts were developed at the end of the 19th century, and following the rapid growth of the city during the 20th century, they became areas of a dense mixture of commercial and residential use.

This is a typical meal prepared by Jay for the girls. It is banku and peppers with fried eggs. It is important to us that we feed these girls what may be their only hot meal all day.

If we give to one person, we are doing God's work.

-unknown

Gifty Naa, age 18, is attending the University of Education, Winneba studying Creative Arts and Design. She is the younger sister of Jay, our wonderful partner at JayNii Streetwise Fashion Skill Training.

Beatrice Eding is a sophomore this year. She is studying Early Child Education at University of Education, Winneba in Accra.

Pricilla Quaye Tsotsoo

is studying to be a journalist. Like Beatrice, she started her 4-year program in January of 2022. She is attending African University College of Communications studying Strategic Communication.

Freda Nsobila, 19, has started her four year program in Computer Science at KNUST. For the past year after high school graduation, she has travelled from her hometown of Bolgatanga and has worked menial jobs selling a local food (kenkey) and selling a local snack drink (fuula). Her mother is a widow and struggles to support the family. so it has been difficult accumulating college fees.

Jay and Nii Quartey are our partners in Accra. They are founders of JayNii Streetwise Foundation, an organization that helps the youth in Jamestown. Jay is a seamstress and heads the new sewing school in Accra. but recruits young girls from Jamestown, a close-by fishing village where she grew up. We are excited to expand her school from 6 students to 12. Jay also oversees the college girls above.

City of God Tailoring in slums of AGBOGBLOSHIE

Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District had a population of 284,124 inhabitants, and the larger Greater Accra Region had a population of 5,455,692 inhabitants.

(L-R): Yawa, Bernice, Cynthia, Rebecca. and Alice.

Congratulations to our five graduates from the City of God Tailoring School inside the slums of Agbogbloshie. We are so proud of their accomplishments and wish them well with their tailoring careers. Each girl received a sewing machine at the graduation party.

Felicia Boakye Yin is a young mother attending Accra Technical University at night school. She is going to be an accountant.

Anna and Cecilia have been our partners since the inception of Women InSpirit in 2012. It was the dream of Cecilia to bring sewing into the slums to help the girls there learn the trade. We are always grateful for their support and efforts for this project.

Central Region of Ghana- High School

Cape Coast is a city, fishing port, and the capital of Cape Coast Metropolitan District and Central Region of Ghana. It is one of the country's most historic cities, a World Heritage Site, home to the Cape Coast Castle, with the Gulf of Guinea situated to its south. According to the 2010 census, Cape Coast had a settlement population of 169,894 people.The language of the people of Cape Coast is Fante.

Remember us when remembering a loved one. Memorial Cards are one way to give twice: to your beloved's family and to Women InSpirit's ministry. This service is not limited to just memorials, however. We have cards for any occasion! (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) Make your giving count twice!

Instructions:

• Mail your donation (made out to Women InSpirit, Inc) to: Women InSpirit, 2022 Plantation Dr., Richmond, TX 77406
• Include: your name(s)/address, name of deceased, name/address of recipient of card

Mark your calendars! September 30, 2023

Annual Raise 'n Graze brunch fundraiser

Heaven On Earth, Missouri City, Texas.

Women InSpirit is run by

women, for women.

womeninspirit@oaco.net