Fund 10 up-and-coming Ghanaian women innovators

June 25, 2020 

Hello Friends of Empowered to Educate, 

The last few months have been eventful with the dual challenges of Covid19 and racial injustice, but in the midst of these twin tragedies, we are happy to update you on the progress we have made.  First and foremost, we are excited to announce that we have selected our first group of  Fellows in Ghana! After receiving many nominations from our Ghana partners, conducting virtual interviews with each applicant, and reading candidate questionnaires, we narrowed it down to 10 fantastic Fellows. Their programs include early childhood development, inclusion, reading and literacy, communications, STEM,  and distance learning, among others. We cannot wait to support them in their changemaking endeavors and look forward to sharing their accomplishments with you. 

In addition to the selection process, we have been busy building curriculum and planning events. With the COVID 19 outbreak, we quickly recognized the importance of transferring our Fellowship program to a virtual format. Thanks to the hard work of Tawiah Agyarko-Kwarteng, our Ghana Country Advisor, we were able to retool our curriculum and shift events for online platforms. We have already created a WhatsApp where the Fellows meet each other and begin the important peer-to-peer networking process. We have booked our first virtual guest speaker who will address the Fellows at the formal launch, June 25th. She is Dr. Rana Dajani, founder of We Love Reading, Empowered to Educate partner, and one of the Top 100 Most Influential Arab Women. The global pandemic certainly taught us the value of flexibility and creative problem solving, skills we hope to share with our Fellows in the years to come.

As our Fellowships begin and our planning becomes reality, we ask ourselves what still needs to be done to ensure our Fellows get the most out of our program. Many of them expressed in their application that a key benefit of Empowered to Educate  is access to resources and microgrants. For that reason, we must prioritize fundraising in the months to come. We hope to use our platform on GlobalGiving to continue to share our mission with the public and raise additional funds to support each of our Fellows’ with microgrants, mentors, leadership training, and so much more.

Thank you for your support as we launch Empowered to Educate!

The Empowered to Educate team. 

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Dear Friends of Empowered to Educate,

It’s hard to believe that nearly two months have passed since we concluded our successful accelerator campaign with the help of our very generous donors and friends.

Lots has happened since we last wrote, most significantly the appointment of our Ghana Country Advisor, Tawiah Agyarko- Kwarteng, who started on January 28^th. She is off and running, having designed the Fellowship application, nomination and appointment processes. We are targeting late April for the first meeting with our inaugural group of ten fellows.

Who will these fellows be? 

Imagine a woman like Morowa, who is a 31-year-old Ghanaian woman eager to contribute value to her community. Two years ago, she launched her own teenage pregnancy program in one of the poorer districts of greater Accra. By helping teens stay in school their chances for graduation increased as did their opportunities for employment. Education held the key for these teens.

Through her teen pregnancy prevention program, Morowa demonstrated her personal commitment to education as a means for social change. Further, she showed her drive to increase her leadership skills. When Morowa applies to become a Fellow, she will be asked “Describe a moment when you influenced or created social change in your community?” and she will be able to give concrete examples of the steps she has taken to promote reform, including her own teenage pregnancy prevention program. 

 When asked, “How do you think this fellowship opportunity would contribute value to your school/institutions or community?” Morowa will explain her goals and aspirations. She will describe the specific needs of her community and the role she will continue to play in making change. She will stand out as a social innovator, an advocate for change, and a high achiever. These qualities are what make women like Morowa ideal candidates for an Empowered to Educate Fellowship. 

Clearly, we are seeking local rock stars who will shoot to the top, and who are well on the way!