United Way Ghana
United Way Ghana (UWG) is devoted to making real social impact within local communities in three focus areas: education, health and economic empowerment. It envisions a society where every person is empowered to lead an informed, empowered and healthy life.
Janet Butler
P&G Alumni Grant Champion
Janet Butler
28 years in P&G Engineering and Product Supply in the US & Nigeria.
Janet has been involved with United Way Ghana for more than 19 years and is currently a Board Member on the United Way Ghana Governance Council. She has helped the organization transform and significantly increase its impact.
In her letter of endorsement, Janet writes: “United Way Ghana has moved from a charitable organization to an impact organization convening community stakeholders to address local problems. In its short tenure, United Way Ghana has impacted thousands of lives across Ghana, improving educational outcomes for vulnerable children, providing opportunities for financial stability to countless families, and most importantly giving Ghanaians from all walks of life the opportunity to give, volunteer and advocate for the success of their communities.”
The target beneficiaries for this project are survivors of child trafficking that have been rescued by United Way Ghana’s partner NGOs and returned to their communities after many years being trafficked as children. These young men and women were given to traffickers under the guise of taking them to school or to learn a trade; instead, they were sent to work on fishing boats or farms under very demeaning conditions. They are in dire need of sustainable economic support and resources to rebuild their lives (vocational skills, training in identifying business opportunities and resources to start a business, access to education and other social services to help them reintegrate into their communities).
Our $24,000 PGAF grant will impact 300 community members by creating a comprehensive economic empowerment project for 60 survivors of child trafficking in 3 regions over 1 year, providing them the resources and skills needed to become financially independent. The funds will support Phase 1 (3 months) which focuses on education and training (financial literacy, business development and entrepreneurship), Phase 2 (6 months) which focuses on Business Development (access to capital and business/technical assistance) and Phase 3 (3 months) which focuses on sustaining the business (marketing, advertising). Mentoring and networking opportunities leading to new businesses will be included throughout the program.
“Breaking the Chains of Human Trafficking: An Economic Empowerment Program for Survivors.” This program aims to empower survivors like Christiana Preba to overcome the devastating effects of human trafficking and rebuild their lives.
In Christiana’s case, she endured the cruel deception of trafficking, only to find solace in her marriage marred by financial instability and lingering trauma. United Way Ghana’s intervention provided her with the necessary tools and support to kickstart her dressmaking business, enabling her to not only achieve financial stability but also to support her family and break free from the cycle of hardship.