We are happy to share the activities from the Saturday vocational rotation at House of Grace Ghana.
The older girls completed skirts for themselves and dresses for the younger girls. Sewing is a valuable skill to have in Ghana, and can enable women to become small business owners. According to Open Knowledge Repository, “The global textile and apparel sector is critically important as an early phase in industrialization for many developing countries, and as a provider of employment opportunities to thousands of low-income workers, many of them women.” Exposure to self-employment opportunities and business ownership is important as we empower the girls at House of Grace to reach their dreams and become entrepreneurs.
The girls also had the chance to make meat pies, cookies, and cakes in the bakery. The photographer had to be quick to capture these yummy creations before they were consumed! According to MBAs for Africa, “A bakery business is one of the most profitable businesses that you can start in Ghana today. Places like Accra, Kumasi, and Kumale are strategic cities in Ghana where bakery businesses can thrive. Bakeries have become an iconic part of life in Ghana and Accra’s urban areas.”
One exciting opportunity for the older girls is to lead the art class. For almost ten years, all of the girls at House of Grace Ghana were around the same age, within about three years. The ability to mentor, teach, and lead was a challenge because almost everyone was on the same level academically. With the completion of the new dorm and the additional twenty girls who now call House of Grace home, allowing the older girls to become leaders has become a priority. Most of the original girls at House of Grace Ghana are now in senior high school. In the villages, the girls have not seen young women pursuing education beyond the ninth grade. Before coming to House of Grace, these girls mostly witnessed women laboring to support their families in a harsh, selfless existence of survival in the northern villages. As these little girls see professional women with vision and purpose, mentors who own businesses, and young girls pursuing their education, they begin to dream of a life they didn’t know was possible.
We are so grateful for all of your prayers and financial support that makes these dreams a reality for our girls. Thank you for being a Global Servant!