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Alliance For African Women Initiative (AFAWI)

Alliance for African Women Initiative was founded in 2005 and registered in 2006 as a development oriented, not-for-profit, non-sectarian, non-governmental organization. AFAWI is predominantly a women’s organization, with around 40 people living with HIV/AIDS participating in the organization, all of which are women. AFAWI is based and works principally in Ghana.

AFAWI has undertaken many development projects over the years, centred around youth and women’s empowerment as well as community and human resource development. Among the projects that have been run are a malaria control project and a programme aimed at curbing the discrimination and stigmatization of people living with HIV/AIDS.

AFAWI believes that everyone can choose: either be part of the problem or part of the solution. This is why we work together with other organisations to champion education for all, women’s and youth empowerment and development, HIV/AIDS and sexual reproductive health, community and rural development and human rights.

Vision and Mission

To ensure equitable development for both rural inhabitants and poor urban dwellers especially women and children.

Empower vulnerable women

Although gains are being made towards women's empowerment in developing nations, the most disadvantaged members of society – those living with HIV/AIDS, the rural poor, and women living under strong traditional influence – are often left behind.

Over the past decade, a series of international agreements have concluded that fostering the full capacity of all citizens is crucial to sustainable national development and global health. Therefore, empowering women is essential.

AFAWI aims to empower women and children economically, politically, and socially and to provide a forum for educators, women in leadership positions, youth leaders, and community organizers to discuss issues affecting women and children. Through these efforts, AFAWI hopes to ensure the socio-economic and human rights for all people to live a dignified life, regardless of where they are from.

Promote rural education for all

AFAWI supports the commitment made by the international community during the 1990s to achieve universal education in every society of every country. Much of AFAWI’s work is performed in the northern half of Ghana, where educational levels fall short of urban areas, and a far greater gap is seen between girls' and boys' achievement in school.

While it is necessary that improvements in the quality of education should not benefit the economically well-off at the expense of the poor, it is also important to ensure that the quality of education does not suffer as a cost of improving access to education for all.

Why AFAWI?

Women play a central role in the process of social and economic development of families, communities and nations, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.

They form the bulk of workers in the agricultural and commercial sector. They are home makers and are mainly responsible for the quality of nutrition, health, education, physical environment and even sometimes the economic stability of the family.

There is no doubt that women need to be educated to acquire the basic knowledge and skills to carry out these adequately and effectively.

Sadly enough, the large majority of women all over the developing countries are illiterates. Worse still, an equal number of girls are not being educated. If this situation is not changed, the adverse cycle of malnutrition, poor child and maternal health, ignorance, illiteracy, over population, poor environmental conditions and poverty will continue to delay overall national development.This is why AFAWI-GHANA agrees with all those who believe that education for all is the key to the future. Indeed, studies show that developing countries that invest more in giving children basic education tend to make more progress.

Current Projects

Livelihood Project:

The Livelihood Project gives low-income women and people living with HIV/AIDS the opportunity to gain a sustainable source of income by providing them with low-interest loans and essential business skills training. By providing affordable loans and business education, the Livelihood Project is able to support the economic participation of women, promote gender equality and improve the economic welfare of women and people living with HIV/AIDS.

Strengthening Community Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children:

The fight against HIV/AIDS continues with some success in Ghana. However, prevalence rates in certain Districts of Ghana are significantly above the national rate. With a youth population of 48% under the age of 18 years and recent increases in HIV/AIDS cases among 15-24 year olds, there is cause for concern.

The Alliance for African Women Initiative (AFAWI) are partnering with the US Agency for International Development and World Vision to strategically target community care and HIV/AIDS prevention strategies for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). The program involves strengthening community-based structures to provide care and support for OVCs, ensuring that OVCs are enrolled in schools, providing them with employable skills training and increasing awareness and knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention amongst youths.

This is a large scale project: it covers 10 districts in Ghana with high prevalence of HIV/AIDs and seeks to give support to over 3000 OVCs and spread HIV awareness and prevention to 8000 school children. AFAWI will be working in 3 of these districts.

Operation 100:

At AFAWI Ghana, it is believed that they can develop leadership in the future by giving young people a voice today. By involving children and young people in discussions about their education and how it could be improved, we enable them to develop confidence and empowerment, preparing them to take charge of their lives and play an active role in social development.

Operation 100 aims to facilitate community youth involvement in sex education and the prevention of stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS. The project is split into two phases. In phase one research will be conducted at 100 public Junior High Schools (JHS) and in their associated communities within the Ga East and Ga West municipalities of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The research aims to ascertain the level of knowledge JHS students and local community members have concerning HIV/AIDS and reproductive health issues. On the back of this research phase two involves the training of schoolteachers to implement sex education more effectively and the sensitization and capacity building training for young students as peer educators in their various schools and communities.

Teen Club: Youth Development Project:

Educating young people empowers them to make better choices in life and grow into responsible adults. The Alliance for African Women (AFAWI) launched a Teen Club in January 2008 at Green Hill International School for students in Junior High School (grades 7 to 9). The Teen Club meet once a week to learn and discuss topics like current events, leadership, health and sexual maturation, characteristics of responsible adults, the media and culture.

Student executives, elected by members of the Club, plan activities for the group with the help of teachers and AFAWI volunteers. At the end of each school term, AFAWI celebrates the contribution of Club members by hosting an awards ceremony to recognize exceptional students. The Club also plan long-term projects that will benefit the school community. For example, very few public schools in Ghana have libraries, particularly at the Junior and Senior High levels so the Club is exploring the possibility of building a library for Junior High students, providing access to English-language fiction and non-fiction books, newspapers and textbooks.

There has been great feedback from Teen Club members; students have said that it has helped them build new friendships, undergo personal development and learn about current issues in their community.

AFAWI’s next challenge is to officially launch the Teen Club in Taifa Community School and to involve teachers and parents in the planning, support and fundraising needed to successfully run the Club. AFAWI also aims to expand its youth development initiative by creating new Teen Clubs in other schools in the community, and hopes to copy the model across various districts and regions nationwide.

Further details

info@afawigh.org

Find out more about the projects here: http://afawigh.org/our-projects

Find out more about volunteering with AFAWI: http://afawigh.org/volunteer/volunteer-information.html

Tel:(+233)0302941721/0243871816