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February 21, 2007
Small Donations Wanted for Blind Women in Africa
Greetings from Ghana!
I am an American teacher of the blind visually impaired working/living in Ghana, West Africa. For the past 3 months, I have started several disability-related projects, including one with the Blind Women’s Association (BWA) from the town of Wenchi.
Wenchi has an unusually high number of blind and visually impaired people living there as many years ago the local high school created a resource room for the visually impaired. Several of the women who graduated from the high school met to form the BWA. The main goal of the BWA is to obtain employment opportunities for the unemployed and underemployed.
About two months ago, I was invited by the women to attend a meeting. The women had drawn up a very impressive proposal for developing business opportunities for the neediest seven women of the group. The BWA selected the seven women because the government does not provide welfare; they have no jobs and no working husband or family member to support them. Most have resorted to begging on the street. However, compared to the general population, most of the women have a higher education level than their sighted peers.
BWA’s plan is to procure enough money to purchase kiosks or metal containers so that each woman may a start small business selling items such as: soap, powder, lotions and/or snacks. Currently, the group is researching options for micro-loans in order to purchase the goods to fill the store. However, in order to qualify for a micro-loan, borrowers must already own land, some equipment, a small structure or other type of asset. This is why I am writing to members of the blindness community, to ask for your assistance in donating a small amount of money to the BWA so that they may purchase 7 kiosks for each woman (the cost of one kiosk is about $600). One hundred percent of your donation will go directly to the seven women in need.
If you are interested in making a small donation, please email me and I will forward you the contact information of the blindness organization which has agreed to collect money for the BWA.
Also, for those of you sighted folks, please go to the following website to see a photo of the seven women and an example of a kiosk which will be used for the businesses that they are hoping to start. Please go to: http://blindwomenwenchi.blogspot.com
Thank you so much for your interest. Your dollar goes a long way in Africa.
Sincerely,
Wendy Olson,
TBVI
wendysueolson@yahoo.com
Posted by Nancy at February 21, 2007 05:34 PM