In the past we have featured some of the amazing women who run programs around the world that serve their communities. We are thinking of all of them today and sending out heartfelt appreciation for all the good they do.
Sylvester Atitsogbe with the first graduating class of the Women’s Apprenticeship Program in 2021
This year, however, we wanted to feature a young man who is giving rural women an opportunity to improve their lives through skills training and sustainable work. At 24 years old, Sylvester Atitsogbe, a teacher by day, has taken it upon himself to help rural women in Northern Ghana become agents of change in their communities. Sylvester co-founded and serves as Director of an organization called VARAS (Volunteers for Amelioration of Rural Areas) with the ultimate goal of eradicating poverty by empowering women.
We met Sylvester in the fall of 2019 and at that time we began to follow his work. In 2021 he wanted to launch The Women’s Apprenticeship Program, a skills-training program that teaches not only sewing, but also business development, computer literacy, and English. TFI funded that pilot project and eight months later, they celebrated their first graduating class. Each graduate received a certificate of completion and their own sewing machine.
The women who enroll in these workshops are facing a future of poverty. In giving them the tools to create a better future for themselves and their children, Sylvester is helping to change the world.
If this were not enough, last year Sylvester not only wanted to teach women job skills, but wanted to offer them a place to work. Alongside the training program, he started to build a Production Centre so the women could make and sell clothes in local markets. He is also seeking contracts to make uniforms for local schools and businesses. TFI provided him a grant to start this project. We want to help this enterprising and caring young man in his efforts to help the women in his community. Sylvester has just picked eight new Apprentices to start a 2022 class and he is now seeking funds to:
- purchase training fabrics and materials needed for the incoming class of Apprentices
- connect electricity and plumbing and buy needed furniture for the Production Centre
- purchase sewing, embroidery and knitting machines and different fabrics for the Production Centre
- pay a monthly salary to the new sewers for the first six months as they get started
In total, we are trying to raise $15,000 for these women and
make their Valentine’s Day life-changing.
Newly built Production Centre
Apprentices in Training
Thank you for caring about this community. We wish you all a sweet day!
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P.O. Box 192066, San Francisco, CA 94119