Dear Rotarians,
 
I want to share what we have accomplished during the first year of the $77,000 Global Grant your club helped fund that is providing vocational training for street girls in Ghana through Street Girls Aid (SAid). It is half finished, and we have learned a lot!
 
Entrepreneurship training for street girls who are petty traders is a great success.
  • Ten SAid social workers were trained in small-scale business management and how to impart that information to girls who have little or no formal education.
  • 25 young women who have tiny businesses (i.e. selling fruit in the streets, hair products, etc.) were screened for their reliability, motivation, and likelihood of success.
  • After a brief formal training class, they continue to meet regularly with the social workers, which offer them suggestions and encouragement.
  • Upon completing their initial training, the girls got a “tool kit” relevant to their business that will help them expand. There will be 50 more girls who will go through the training through the grant.
  • The SAid social workers are really excited about this program, and have seen significant gains in the participants.
  • They plan to use the training and information they received with even more girls after the grant is finished.
Starting a training program in laundry skills while setting up a profitable laundry business is much more complex. In the past year SAid has
  • Built a laundry facility in the SAid Young Mothers Support Centre compound (with funds from RC of Ojai, not through the global grant)
  • Purchased and installed professional laundry equipment; hired a laundry instructor and project manager.
  • Publicized the training program among street girls and selected the first 5 girls who are currently being trained.
  • Ojai Rotarian Mike Weaver, a business consultant specializing in small businesses and social entrepreneurship, conducted 6 training sessions with SAid staff via Skype to help them set up the laundry efficiently.
  • Training included management accounting, marketing and sales, process flow analysis, organization structure, financial management, and internal controls.
  • SAid is publicizing the new laundry service among local hotels and businesses, and have received their first orders.
  • Two more groups of 15 girls each will be trained in the coming year.
  • After the grant is finished and the laundry business is up and running, revenue will pay for ongoing vocational training for street girls.
Not only are street girls gaining vocational skills that lead to a more stable life, SAid staff has received business training that will be useful in future programs.
 
Thanks to the following for contributing to this Global Grant:
Accra Legon East, Pismo Beach (Five Cities), Westlake Village Sunrise, Moorpark, Simi Sunrise, Thousand Oaks, Montecito, Santa Maria, Bakersfield Breakfast, Westlake Village, E-Club of One World D5240, Ojai West, Ojai
 
Total Cash contributions: $16,175
District Designated Fund (DDF) 5240, 6600: $26,379
World Fund match (requested): $34,467
Ojai also contributed $4,000 to build the laundry room that could not be funded through a Global Grant
Total financing: $77,021
 
Kay Bliss
Past President, Rotary Club of Ojai
 
SAid social worker talking to street girl about her business.
 
SAid staff in the new laundry training facility.
 
Michael Weaver training SAid staff via Skype.