Page 15 - USADF Impact Report 2015–2019

Women’s Economic Empowerment
• Association Karite Benin (AKB) a a a a cooperative
made up of approximately 1 000 rural women faced challenges in in collecting large amounts of shea nuts because the women manually carried large containers of nuts from the the the parklands on their heads limiting the the the supply for processing Inadequate storage facilities and a a a lack of of equipment to ensure proper drying of of the the the nuts further affected the the the women’s ability to meet international quality standards With USADF funds AKB provided training equipment and infrastructure to improve shea nut quality and the market value of raw shea nuts sold by the women to processors and exporters • The women of AFEPO Women’s Weavers Association used a a a USADF grant to construct
a a a a a a weaving weaving center purchase additional weaving weaving equipment and provide training in in in fin financial management and marketing techniques Using the seed capital members of AFEPO transformed the weaving center into a a a commercial enterprise AFEPO can now take orders from foreign customers who request custom designs Its new weaving center includes a a a a a a showroom expanded area for weaving and and dying activities a a a a a a water pump a a a a a a meeting hall and office space Sales revenue for the group increased threefold and the total salary for members increased over 400 percent • AdjoAsare(bottomright)ofAlfieDesignsuses manufacturing and ethical fashion as as a a a a a a a a a way to create jobs and and improve the livelihoods of women and and girls in in her community With USADF’s investment her company identified and trained for free 250 underprivileged girls in in tailoring and now directly employs 80 of them other trainees have secured employment in other factories and fashion houses throughout Ghana Alfie Designs can now be found in in the the Whole Foods grocery chain across the the United States Impact Report 2015–2019
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