Global Mamas – Helping Women Help Themselves – and Others
Working for fair trade company Global Mamas has helped Hannah Dodoo and other Ghanian handcrafters secure decent livelihoods not just for themselves, but for many others in their communities.
Just a few years ago, Victoria “ObaYaa” Koufie could barely make ends meet. Despite making a name for herself as a talented seamstress, her lack of capital left her unable to make a decent living.
Today, Oba Yaa run her own workshop in a busy marketplace, where she employs three workers and seven apprentices. Her new-found bookkeeping skills have allowed her to make informed business decisions and qualify for a business expansion loan, which she has already paid back in full. She can afford insurance and new equipment. She has adopted her sister’s three children and has also taken in a needy child, sending them all through school. And she has secured land for her own workshop and store.
The difference? Global Mamas.
Global Mamas is a nonprofit organization helping small women-led enterprises in Ghana. By helping the women find export markets and providing them assistance in business management, the fair-trade company is helping forge a more sustainable future for people in this African country.
Beautiful clothes, beautiful people
The clothes are gorgeous. Each piece is unique. The fabric is hand-batiked or tie-dyed by expert craftswomen, and then sewn into original garments in women-owned workshops. Global Mamas’ collections for the entire extended family – men, women, children and babies – are eye-catching and colorful. They also offer jewelry (including a recycled glass bracelet and necklace) and accessories for the home.
All the handcrafters are featured on Global Mamas’ website, and each item page has links to the women who created the pieces. Their stories are heartwarming. A common thread is the importance of family and community in Ghanian society. Most of the women use the money they earn to help support aging parents and for tuition to send their – and others’ – children to school. Many of them provide employment to others as they take in more work than they can handle on their own. One batik artist, Marian Barker, even has plans to start an orphanage with the profits she makes from her business.
It’s a ripple effect. By helping a few industrious women, Global Mamas is helping improve the lives of many.
Thank you for profiling Global Mamas. We’ve carried their products since first opening our store in Springfield, MO in Dec 2007.
Their project is a great one, but the product itself has to be great too for long term success. We – and more importantly our customers – have loved the quality of their products, the vibrancy of the coloring, the texture of the fabrics…everything!