The scales are tilted against women and girls.
but equipping and educating women and girls actually transforms whole communities.
So we founded a trust—a partnership. And through it we stay close, offering seamless support and responding directly to the needs that arise. We’ve got our finger on the community pulse and we’re connected to the systems necessary for enacting enduring change. That’s the magic of partnership.
Naturally, the impact has been circular. Everyone from skeptical fathers to weary schoolmistresses have seen the dynamics start to change—and they’re onboard. Better yet, as horizons and possibilities expand for the women and girls we partner with, our capacity for innovation does too.
Girls.
Our girls’ education starts with headmistresses. They identify students who are both gifted and in need. From there, our scholarship administrators work with families to make sure they are on board and ready to play their role in ensuring their daughter’s success. Then we provide books and uniforms, cover tuition, and enrichment, so that anything that may pull a girl out of school, say the cost of supplies or need to support family work at home, is not an obstacle. We stay in touch with their schools, to ensure our girls are succeeding and intervene when necessary. We stay close, supporting them through their college applications, after which we cover tuition, a laptop and watch them fly. Throughout this, we have two criteria:
Academic Standard.
Girls can do anything—especially when they’re supported. In return, we ask our girls to study hard and succeed academically. And we guarantee that nothing, not home life, a lack of support, gets in their way.
Family
Buy in.
Girls are often saddled with unseen labor that can interfere with their studies. We make certain that is a non-issue for our girls so they can have the time and home support they need to succeed.
Programs for Girls
Trust Scholars Program
The Trust Scholars Program provides tuition, uniforms, books, supplies, computers, and housing to academically-promising girls in need. In a community where few girls finish high school, our Trust Scholars are encouraged to stay in school and to obtain college degrees. The Trust Scholars Program requires parents to be active advocates of their children’s education, shifting community attitudes on the importance of education for girls.
Limitless Tech Enrichment Program (LTE)
To further ensure their success,Trust Scholars are enrolled in the Limitless Tech Enrichment Program, receiving tutoring and support in Mathematics, English, and Information Technology (IT). In a community where many girls lack access to computers, this program removes a barrier to academic and professional success. Moreover, Limitless provides Trust Scholars with the edge to excel on nationwide high school and college entrance exams as well as to obtain admission to top schools, unlocking the limitless potential of girls.
Women.
We know people who know people. Partnership pays when you’re making waves. So we’re able to partner with all the right people. It’s our partners who get the word out about our programs for women, which we then run in consultation with the community.
When teaching begins, it’s local language specific. Then we gradually introduce English, until the women are ready to learn in English. Being bilingual and trained opens up so many possibilities for our students.
Programs for Women
Healthy Ɔhemmaa
Access to health literacy and healthcare is crucial to reducing poverty. Healthy ɔhemmaa (translated: healthy queen) bridges the gap between the women in regions of need in Ghana and health education by bringing resources to the people who need them most. Through the Healthy ɔhemmaa Program, WomensTrust hosts healthy living clinics for the Ghanaian community. Receiving health education and screenings grants women in need and their families tools necessary for living long and healthy lives.
Akwannya Program
Through Akwannya (translated: Opportunity), WomensTrust provides literacy instruction and vocational skills training classes for women with little or no formal education. Reading is initially taught in local languages, then English. Students also acquire basic numeracy skills. Upon completion of adult literacy classes, women are invited to join our vocational training program in which they learn marketable, profitable skills, such as beadmaking. The sale of items produced through this training increases women's earnings and moves them toward financial stability and independence.
