Ghana – Family Preservation
CHANGE A LIFE GRANTS
In an effort to expand our Family Preservation projects, we have begun the “
Change a Life” grant program. This program provides career opportunities to under- or un-employed Ghanaian parents who are struggling to keep their families together. A single mother who is good at selling may receive a grant to purchase a stall and her first order of yams to start up her own small business. A widow who has always thought she would like to sew may be granted a 6 month course in sewing, a new sewing machine, and a small stock of cloth to begin her own sewing business. Another mom may receive a grant to attend hair styling classes, followed by help to secure a position at a local beauty salon.
Change A Life grant recipients have a goal to provide for their families without ongoing assistance. The recipients are chosen from a pool of applicants that have proven their dedication to their children and their future.
PLACE CALLED HOME Project
The
PLACE CALLED HOME Project is a rental assistance program for needy families. In Ghana, most families must rent their homes. Landlords expect 2 years or more rent, paid in advance. This means that even a small rent of 50 cedis per month would require 1200 cedis ($810). Single mother or fathers who have been recently widowed or abandoned by a spouse often end up homeless, not because they cannot pay 50 cedis per month, but because they have no savings to pay an entire two years of rent. The Place Called Home program provides families with the ability to pay 2 years of rent, one time only. In doing so, the family can use the following 2 years to save enough money so that in the future they will be able to pay the required 2 years in advance. It’s a one time “leg up” that can provide a home for a lifetime.
