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 Using professional skills to promote women entrepreneurship in ghanaDanielle Peck was a docudrama film manufacturer with 10 years of experience with the BBC in Greater London, but last year she decided she wanted to use her picture taking and news media skills "in a wholly different linguistic context." So she decided to spend two calendar month in the West African Republic of Ghana portion women struggling to attain economic independency through their own concern. She lived in the metropolis of Cape Coastand Krobo, where she photographed and interviewed small businesswomen tocreate case-study profiles for a non-profit organization, Women in advancement, which uses them on its website and in its selling materials.  [Christy (left) and Eli (below) are indigen of Ghana who work with the group Women in advancement to set up their own batiking/clothing concern.] (Photos: Danielle Peck) Danielle also took photograph of article of clothing, jewelry andother products made by the Ghanaian women, which are now being used insales catalogs.  Women in advancement is a nonprofit organization that supports small women-led businesses in Ghana. Along with providing hands-on aid to help women turn their concern ideas into world, Women in advancement helps female entrepreneurs find international markets for their merchandise, which range from hand-made glass beads to colorful batik frock to good-luck figurines.Women in advancement depends on military volunteer"male and female"from about the world to share their accomplishment with a assortment of concern programs. Military volunteer live and work with the women enterpriser and their communities, teaching such accomplishment as computing machine applications, concern planning, record keeping or selling. Volunteers can sign up for undertaking lasting from two weeks to four calendar month. Danielle says the life conditions where sometimes rough"there were habitue cuts in electricity and she spent four weeks without running water. But she was glad the money she paid to join the military volunteer project was going straight to help poor Ghanaian women rather than being squandered on luxurious living quarters for the western volunteers.  Supplementing her basic accommodations were a night watchman and a cook who made daily meals. "I liked that the organization was based in a small town, which I could get to know, rather than an anonymously large city,” she said. “And I liked that the job would entail me getting out and about, meeting the women and their families, finding out about their ways of life.” She added: “I was constantly amazed by how the women get by with such poise, dignity and optimism despite all the hardships they are confronted with.” Women in Progress made headlines in England last year when one of Britain’s biggest design retailers, Top Shop, decided to buy 400 dresses made by women who were part of a Women in Progress project called Global Mamas. Global Mamas is a cooperative of about 200 craft women who make and sell a variety of clothing, accessories and jewelry. The frocks sold to Top Shop"colorful sun dresses in batik materials"were the biggest order Global Mamas ever had. There were certainly technical difficulties, including frequent power cuts and lack of pins and scissors (Top Shop staff had to travel to Ghana to bring supplies needed to meet the large order). But the dresses made their way to the British shops where costumers knew their purchases were giving women in Ghana a fair and living wage: $12 a day, compared to the average of $1 a day. And even more importantly, they knew the women were learning the business skills needed to head their own companies and achieve economic independence. Clothing and other items made by Global Mamas can also be purchased on-line at their website, www.globalmamas.org. Women in Progress is looking for a variety of volunteers who can lend their skills to help women entrepreneurs. Volunteers with business expertise, computer skills and experience in network integration are always in need. But more important, say the organization's leaders, are volunteers of all ages with patience, enthusiasm and a sense of humor who are looking for an adventurous vacation that will introduce them to new cultures and challenges. “I wanted to get to know the people and their way of life, instead of just passing through like I normally do when traveling,” says Danielle. “I don’t think I would have had nearly such a great time if I had just been touring around.” More Volunteer Abroad Articles |