General

Many people would not typically think about who made a product or where it came from upon purchasing an item. Nor would they trace the product to its source. A volunteer, Katie Modley, had the unique opportunity to meet the Global Mamas that made the products that she wears and sells.

The Global Mamas slogan ‘Love Your Product, Know Your Producer, Change Her Life’ is firmly embodied in every sketch, stamp, and stitch from the initial design idea to the finished product.

More than 60 Global Mamas, volunteers and staff members came together to donate their time cleaning up Cape Coast’s bustling Kotokraba Market on Saturday, June 25, 2011.

Global Mamas has been operating in the Krobo area for more than five years. As with all new ventures, the bead operation started off relatively small while we learned the market and ensured that the products we exported met the high quality standards our customers expect from Global Mamas.

The story goes the Belanda Hitam, Malay for Black Dutchman, brought batik to West Africa in the mid-nineteenth century after serving as indentured soldiers for the Dutch in Indonesia.

The economy of Ajumako is mainly agricultural and before Global Mamas many of the women were employed through that sector and were not making a steady income. The Ampiah-Ajumako Business Center opened in January 2008 with 3 workers and has now grown to employ 11 women.

Bead making is an industry that has long been a part of the West African culture. In the ancient times, beads served a myriad of functions: some were used as a form of currency for goods between tribes, whereas others adorned chiefs and their wives to indicate their wealth and status.

When it comes to personal care, women want what is best. Every year the United States spends over 8 billon dollars on women’s cosmetics and the figure continues to grow each year. This massive consumption speaks to the universal desire of women to take care of their skin and body.

Sweden sent us off to Africa with one of the coldest days in Gothenborg, -10C. Ghana welcomed us with open arms, to a balmy evening of 29C. That is how the adventure started for us – Tomas, the Fair Trade Educator / Photographer, and I, the Fair Trade Agent for Global Mamas in the “north pole”, aka Scandinavia.

2010 is around the corner and Global Mamas has exciting news to share. Global Mamas is expanding its line of products to include our four legged friends! Global Mamas will be launching a wonderful fair trade line of pet products in 2010.

On August 1, 2008 Global Mamas launched a new store in the touristic Osu area of Accra. One year later we are very excited to share our great success with you.

In an effort to better serve its growing number of retail partners, the Global Mamas shopping site was converted to a wholesale site in 2009. As a result, Trade for Change was launched to continue the online retail sales of Global Mamas products to consumers, and generate more orders and additional income for the Global Mamas network of fair trade producers in Ghana.

About one year ago, the Global Mamas wholesale distributor in Minneapolis, MN thought of a creative way to invite the local community into the Global Mamas experience: The Second Saturday Sale.

On May 22, 2009 Global Mamas kicked off the 2008 awards season at Odumase-Krobo to recognize outstanding members of the Global Mamas network. The O-K Annual Meeting took place at 1 pm at the Madizu Fair Trade Company. The meeting was well attended by bead makers, bead assemblers, and Global Mama volunteers and friends.

Ally Harris has been an employee for Global Mamas in the U.S. for over a year. This September she had the opportunity to come to Ghana and learn more about the how the complex production of Global Mamas batik apparel and accessories works.

No one is entirely sure when bauxite beadmaking came to Abompe in Ghana’s Eastern Region. Over the years, a story has developed that has become, for many, an acceptable surrogate for the truth.

On August 1, 2008 Global Mamas launched a new store in the Osu area of Accra. The store represents the creative talent and dedication of Matthew Sturm and Megan Collins who designed and launched the store in less than one month.

Penetrating new markets is never easy, however it is not impossible, as any of the women of the Global Mamas Cooperative will tell you. Step by step, and connection by connection, GM has finally gotten its name, reputation, and unique style to the streets of the UK.

After two tro-tro rides and a taxi, anyone, no matter how well traveled, would be worn out; however, within a few minutes upon arriving at Ajumako-Ampiah – a small village on the outskirts of Ajumako – the community’s friendly and energetic atmosphere instills itself upon us, and we begin to revive.

In August 2006, Global Mamas expanded to Odumase-Krobo in the Eastern Region to begin producing marketing fair-trade, recycled glass Ghanaian beads and beaded products. With a $16,000 grant from the British High Commission, Global Mamas was able to pay for the Co-operative’s start-up costs.

In August, Global Mamas orchestrated its first annual Design Dontest for its seamstresses, batikers and bead designers in order to introduce new products in the 2008 wholesale catalog. At the outset of the contest, the Global Mamas gathered for an informative meeting to learn about which Global Mamas products were best sellers in the US, UK and Australian markets.

The first success was finding a manufacturer in Ghana to supply the calico, the 100% woven cotton fabric used to produce Global Mamas clothing and accessories.

Women in Progress held their annual roundtable discussion on January 24, 2006. All 24 women business owners in the Global Mamas cooperative, in addition to WIP’s staff and both founders, were present.

At long last, our dreams of a second Global Mamas location were realized with the opening of our operations in Krobo in August 2006. Thanks to the hard work and diligence of many of our volunteers and Mandy Sage – who heads the Krobo location – we are now able to offer our international trade program and services to the talented bead workers of Krobo.

Every company wants it: characteristics that separate and distinguish itself from other companies. Global Mamas has made this a priority from the beginning and still strives to do so. The company sets itself apart from other NGOs in several ways, both large and small, but all being important to the success and growth of the company.

In February, all 16 members of Women in Progress met for a roundtable discussion on how to improve the process for bringing in new members.

Continuing efforts to grow its customer base and support the women of Ghana, Global Mamas has expanded its web site, www.globalmamas.com, and will develop a new collection with several items for babies and women in summer 2005.

In May 2000 the U.S. Congress passed the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) which serves to promote the economic and political development of Sub-Saharan African countries.

In September, Women in Progress opened a new Global Mamas store on busy Kingsway Street in Cape Coast. The new location provides a tremendous opportunity to market WIP’s products and workshops in the profitable local tourist market.

With the declaration of the golden age of business by the current government, women have not been left out! There has been a lot of encouragement from the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and quite a number of NGOs, one of which is Women in Progress, to help small business women acquire business skills and enable them to expand their businesses.

Global Mamas is the brand name for apparel and accessories produced by many small business women in Ghana through the facilitation of Women in Progress (WIP).

Since the opening of its first overseas office in Ghana in March 2003, Women in Progress (WIP) has been focusing on launching its International Trade program. Taking an unusual approach, WIP started at the end. What? Before making a full-force effort to help businesses become “export ready”, WIP helped its clients to first identify overseas markets!