Visiting the Graduates at Premec!

Amy and I arrived late Friday evening to Accra, the capital city of Ghana.  We stayed in Accra that night before leaving the next morning to go to the Premec Creations center which is located several hours outside of the capital along the coast.  Martha had planned a special workday for all of the center’s graduates.  Just last week the 3^rd session of women graduated.  Women from all three sessions came together to make batik fabric and soap.  Amy and I were met with a shower of hugs and cheers when we arrived.  They ran for chairs for us to sit down and watch the work they were doing.  The women had arranged an exhibition table with all the goods they had made in the last session: batik, liquid soap, pomade, hair cream, body soap, and beads.  I can’t tell you how wonderful it felt to be with them.  My heart was so full. 

Amy and I spent the day holding babies, helping in any way they would allow a naive obruni (white person) to help, and observing their work.  They showed us the sewing shack, the hairdressing studio, and the new Premec workspace.   They showed us photos from all three of the sessions.  It was wonderful to see how hard they have been working and how much they made this project their own.  They have added the Premec logo to soap labels, t-shirts, graduation certificates, fabric wrappers, etc.  Martha so fully embodies the mission of Premec.  The women are a tight-knit community that loves and supports each other.  The day is full of laughter and joking when they work together.

My grandmother sent some toffees (candy) over to Ghana with me, which I shared with them.  You would have thought it was a million dollars they way they rushed to eat some.  They played the typical game where they pretended they didn’t get one so they could have another.  It was so much fun to see the joy the simple toffees brought them.  Thanks Grandma!  

Adwenpa Creations

Meeting at Heritage College

Amy and I traveled to Ghana with a group of individuals involved in various organizations and ministries in Ghana.  Aubrie Lashley was there representing 'Heartbeat for Hope.' We were interested in collaborating together on some projects.  One of those was to create another women's training center in some impoverished villages outside of Accra, the capital city.  Amy & I traveled with Martha on several long and sweaty tro-tro rides to meet Susie and Faustina, women with an interest in serving women in their communities.



The reason that Premec Creations has been successful is because of the passion and interest of Martha.  We were skeptical whether we could ever find anyone to replicate the love, sincerity and investment which Martha brings to the program.  We were thrilled to meet Susie and Faustina, women who work tirelessly to improve the lives of others.  Martha immediately connected with them and was encouraged to find kindred spirits amongst them.  We were thinking that the women would want to take their time in planning and preparing, observing before committing to the work of an additional center.  Within a matter of 10 minutes they had not only decided that they were ready to take on the responsbility of a center, but that they wanted to open in March!



Martha, Chelsea, Susie, Amy, Faustina & Aubrie

 Susie and Faustina settled on the name Adwenpa Creations.  In Susie's words:

"The name chosen for the training center is ADWENPA CREATIONS. It is a Twi word which means "Goodhearted' thus thinking good about people, or having good thought about humanity". We choose this name because as Christians we have to show kindness and have generous heart towards people to fulfill their God given potentials."  We are pleased at the perspective that Susie and Faustina have towards the work.  They are currently enrolling students and will begin in March.

Chelsea will return the last week in March to attend the opening program of Adwenpa Creations.  Please stay tuned as we update you on it's progress! 

Changing the world, one penny at a time

and now a word from our sponsors...

For the last two years the Portland Christian Middle School Student Council has been a huge supporter of Premec Creations.  They have found creative ways to raise funds to realize Martha's dream: empowering impoverished women in Ghana.  

Below is a special message from two of these students who have been tirelessly working to improve the lives of women half a world away.  Thank you Jared, Jordan, and the rest of the student council team along with their advisor Kristen for changing lives in tangible ways!  

Hi everyone, this is Jared and Jordan from the Portland Christian middle school student council.  We just want to talk about all the fundraisers we’ve been doing to help Premec Creations.  At the beginning of the school year we sold cookie mix that we made, soap handmade from Premec Creations, baked goods, and other crafts at a craft fair our school puts on.  We also held a penny war this year that the whole middle school participated in, and we were able to raise about $400. We are going to start a bake sale with the proceeds going to Premec Creations.  Last spring we sold popsicles and plan to do the same this year.  We are glad we can contribute to this great organization and it’s great to see how it’s affecting the women in Ghana.  Keep up the great work! 

-God bless, from all of us at Portland Christian

  time to go back!

I apologize for the delay in updates.  Amy & I have focused more on the facebook updates lately. BUT, we are going to be updating this site more often, so please check-back often!

Amy & I will be headed to Ghana next week to visit Martha & the third group of trainees.  We are thrilled to see the new center and meet this group of women.  We will be strategizing for future plans, visiting graduates of the center, purchasing supplies, documenting with LOTS of photos and video!

We have been overwhelmed with the support from Portland Christian middle school, Metro Church of Christ ladies group, the Beta Beta chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, as well as family and friends in Portland and Oklahoma City.  THANK YOU for participating in Martha's dream to empower women in Fetteh, and now Senya, Ghana.

  a place to work

This is where Premec Creations will call home for the next year or so until we can afford to build a permanent building.  This structure is being erected in Fetteh and will allow for space for classroom instruction as well as practicals.  The roofing sheets are currently being added to the structure.  We are hoping the structure is finished and operational for our next group of women who will start in April.    It is pretty exciting to have a place to call our own!  

 every cookie counts

This last week I gave a presentation to the Portland Christian middle school students.  They have been diligently raising money for months to help in "Martha's dream."  They managed to raise about 25% of the funds used to buy supplies and put up the structure.  They held a penny war and weekly bake sales in order to raise money for Premec Creations.  They have done an awesome job of involving their student body in supporting this program for women across the world!  Keep it up PC!

After learning about this program for women in Ghana my grandmother wanted to do something to help.  For those of you that know my grandma, you know that my family brags she is the best baker/cook around.  Sweet things are her speciality.  She decided to bake dozens and dozens of cookies to add to the bake sale at PC in order to support the ladies of Premec Creations.  Her cookies sold out in a single lunch hour on Thursday!  In one day her cookies made $30 for Premec.  That is enough to pay half of a month's salary, or to provide the supplies for one day!  Every cookie counts.  Thanks grandma!

 in summary 

Our time in Ghana far exceeded our expectations in every way.  We were able to purchase all the supplies for the 3 month session, participate in the opening program, spend significant amounts of time learning with and from the women and holding their babies as they worked, and plan for future sessions.  We had just enough money to leave with Martha to construct a temporary structure in which she can hold classes.  The church she attends gave her a section of land just next to the church for the center!  Construction is now underway and should be complete in about a month.  This would allow Martha to move classes from the current location of her rented room and landlady's unfinished home in order to have a more permanent location.  The structure will basically be a roof to shelter an outdoor work area where both classroom instruction and "practicals" can take place.  Eventually we will need to build an actual building, but for now this will do.

There are 15 women learning batik, tie and dye, soap making, pomade making, bead arrangement, hairdressing, and sewing on a daily basis in Gomoa.  They will graduate at the end of March to make room for a new set of women.  Amy and I will continue to be responsible for raising funds for each sessions supplies as well as the instructor's salaries.  The profit made from the fabrics and soaps made during the training program will be saved and used as capital for the women as they graduate and start their own businesses.