Meet The Mamas

Christina Pufuaba, Batiker (Cape Coast, Ghana)

“To me, prosperity is when you are hardworking. If you are not hardworking, you cannot prosper. You will be the same as you were.”

Meet Christina: Christina identifies deeply with her work; when asked to describe herself in one word, Christina simply answered “batiker.” After schooling, she was employed to batik under another Global Mama. Through skill and hard work, she was able to join Global Mamas herself in 2011. Her favorite pattern to produce is pineapple, saying “If you give me thousands of yards that need to be pineapples, I will do it in one week for you. I love that design!” Christina’s proudest accomplishment is saving enough money to purchase a tin roof for her batiking workshop, allowing her to stamp patterns in the rain. In her free time, Christina loves to visit the elderly of her church and sing to them.

“I dream for my children, I’ll help them during their education to help them go higher. I work for my children.”

Christopher Dalisah, Soap Makers (Adenta, Ghana)

Christopher grew up in the town of Sasieme in Ghana’s Volta Region. When asked about his tribe, the Ewe, he explains, “Ewe people are hardworking. If things are not so good, you have to work hard to get something to eat. There is no business really, so you must learn to farm or fish.” Christopher was fortunate to study chemical engineering and later started working as a production manager for Naasalke, a Global Mamas shea butter business partner. He enjoys being involved in processing and supervising the transformation of raw materials into a final product. He especially likes the quality control aspect of the process. Christopher is married to his wife, Gifty, who works in IT.

Comfort Amanor, Beadmaker (Odumase-Krobo, Ghana)

“Prosperity is about my family—it means I can take care of them”

Meet Comfort: Comfort has been working with Global Mamas as a beadmaker since the Krobo site first began and is glad that she earns enough money for her beads to support her family. She has a son, Fausta, and a daughter, Mavis, and also cares for two nephews, Isaac and Juros, who are like sons to her. Comfort describes the beadmaking process and wants people to know how difficult it is: “We pound glass and heat it over a fire to create the beads, and we also search for grass and cassava stalks to make holes in the beads.” She says she’s proud that even as a woman, she has the physical strength to do this work.

To those who buy the products made from her beads, Comfort says, “May God help you to get more money so you can buy more jewelry and ornaments made from my beads!”

Comfort Pufaba Yakubu, Seamstress (Cape Coast, Ghana)

Comfort is only 26, but she has already set up her own sewing business, Prince of Light. By the time she arrives for work at 9 am, the one-room workshop has been opened and swept by her two apprentices – Hannah and Sarah. Their workbenches and hand-driven sewing machines spill out of the room onto a tiny shaded verandah. The premises of Prince of Light may be small but Comfort is proud to own – not rent – the workshop.

At the moment, Comfort divides her time between making tops for Global Mamas and private commissions. She enjoys designing her own clothes, but the walls of the workshop are plastered with posters of different styles for customers to choose from as well.

Evenings are generally spent at home with her mother and sister. Supper is normally a bowl of tuo zafi, a traditional Ghanaian food staple Comfort calls TZ . It's a doughy mixture of ground maize, ground cassava, and water served with a vegetable-based stew. After supper, Comfort particularly enjoys watching Nollywood movies, straight-to-video films produced in rapid turnover in Nigeria. When she's not watching TV, Comfort enjoys listening to Gospel music and spends all of Sunday mornings at her local Catholic church.

Cynthia Essiaw, Seamstress (Cape Coast, Ghana)

“I will know I have achieved prosperity each and every year! At the end of each year, I will look at my accomplishments and find what I have done that year to be prosperous.”

Meet Cynthia: A Mama since 2010, Cynthia is a seamstress that specializes in making men’s fitted shirts. She went to school for some time after joining Global Mamas, taking time to learn high-quality stitching. Through her time working with the organization, she has been able to support her younger sister through secondary education. She describes herself as “calm,” and is quick to laugh and make a joke. “If I could talk to someone across the world that is wearing my clothes,” she said, “I would tell them they look good!” Cynthia enjoys cooking palm nut soup and attending church with her husband.

“I push myself towards perfection in my stitching; sewing for Global Mamas has made me a better seamstress.”

Cynthia Gabianu, Seamstress (Ho, Ghana)

Cynthia Gabianu started out her trade as a seamstress by working as an apprentice back in 2003. In 2008, she heard from a Peace Corps volunteer about the cooperative in Ho hiring seamstresses, and she has now been working with it ever since. The main aspect that she appreciates about working with the cooperative is that she can count on getting paid. She is the sole provider for herself and her daughter, Liticia Logo, and things were very difficult for them when Cynthia wasn’t able to depend on a steady paycheck. She hopes to run her own shop someday and send her daughter to school to become a doctor.

Deborah Ababio, Seamstress (Cape Coast, Ghana)

“To me prosperity is working hard. When you do your work, you prosper. Global Mamas has helped because at the end of the day, I have more profit.”

Meet Deborah: Deborah grew up in a community of seamstresses and came to Global Mamas at the recommendation of her friend, a fellow Mama. Now, Deborah creates gift and laundry bags for Global Mamas. Not only is she a full-time seamstress but she’s a full-time mom. When she gets a chance to relax at home, Deborah likes to watch cartoons with her two sons. She hopes to give them the best education because, as she says, “If a child has a good education, he will have more opportunities.” Deborah has made it a priority to take advantage of the opportunities she’s had in life, and she is proud to be an entrepreneur, owning her own shop.

Deborah describes her greatest personal achievement: “When you own your own shop, oh that one – anything can happen!”

Deborah Asmah, Seamstress (Cape Coast, Ghana)

“To me, prosperity is taking small steps toward happiness.”

Meet Deborah: For Deborah, success is incremental. She views her business as a seamstress as a series of small accomplishments that, after years of hard work, will lead her to prosperity. “Moving from one step to another is the key to my happiness, and happiness is my goal.” She pursued her dream of becoming a seamstress by attending a vocational school where she was able to develop many specialized techniques that helped to elevate her as a master seamstress. When not working and goal setting, Deborah enjoys banku and okru stew, her favorite Ghanaian foods. She encourages Americans and Europeans to try these foods as well, because “they will be surprised how delicious Ghana’s food is.”

“My proudest achievement since joining Global Mamas is the creative designs I’ve come up with for bags and dresses.”

Deborah Lekete, Soap Makers (Adenta, Ghana)

Deborah grew up in Ghana's Volta Region, the seventh sibling among three sisters and three brothers. Hardworking and determined, she studied business but was unable to continue due to financial issues. Later, a friend introduced her to Eugenia, owner of Naasalke, a Global Mamas shea butter business partner, and after spending some time in training, she began working full time with Naasalke. Eventually, she saved enough money to go back to school in 2009. She is studying administration and has hopes to one day become a manager at the Ghanaian insurance company, SIC. She greatly appreciates the way Eugenia encourages her and her fellow employees to produce high quality work!

Diana Ayiku, Seamstress (Prampram, Ghana)

“Prosperity means continuing to learn and grow—pushing yourself to do more. I see it in myself and in Global Mamas: as Global Mamas prospers, so do I.”

Meet Diana: Diana completed junior high school and apprenticed as a seamstress for three years before she was recruited by Global Mamas. Prior to working with Global Mamas, Diana’s focus was on making clothing, so she’s enjoyed learning how to make a broader range of products, especially our bags. Diana has been able to pass on her knowledge of sewing to new seamstresses—skills such as using an electric sewing machine (most sewing machines in Ghana are hand-powered) and following a pattern. Her colleagues admire her lightheartedness, especially when she dances at her workstation for a little mid-day exercise. Diana and her husband have three children, Christable, Enoch, and Vicencia, and she hopes to see them continue school and become independent with good jobs.

To those interested in Global Mamas products, Diana says, “We make good products—you have to buy them!”

Dora Eyumu, Seamstress (Prampram, Ghana)

“If you continue to learn and grow, you’ll prosper. To me, prosperity means to see my children through the best schools so they can achieve their dreams.”

Meet Dora: Having completed education through the 4^th grade, Dora opened her own sewing shop more than 13 years ago. A mother of four girls—Rose, Wata, Nicey, and Prosper—Dora is passing her sewing skills to her children just as her mother passed them to her. She came to work for Global Mamas at the recommendation of her sister, also a Global Mamas seamstress. Since joining Global Mamas, Dora has enjoyed learning how to make products following patterns (most seamstresses in Ghana make clothing freehand). Her favorite products to sew are skirts.

“I’m proud to sew for Global Mamas. My life has changed since I started working here. I have more financial freedom and am better able to support my girls.”

Doris Bodua, Bead Assembler (Odumase-Krobo, Ghana)

“I believe prosperity means that things are going well in your life.”

Meet Doris: Formerly a nanny, Doris applied to work at Global Mamas after a friend, also a bead assembler, told her about the organization. She’s proud that she’s learned how to design beaded products and says that she and her coworkers make high quality products. Her favorites are the necklaces. On the weekends, she likes to relax and cook for her family—the Ghanaian dish banku stew is her favorite.

“My dreams for the future are studying to become a nurse and seeing peace come to my community.”

Doris Debrah, Bead Assembler (Odumase-Krobo, Ghana)

“Prosperity is being able to get what you want. I will have reached prosperity when I can be self-employed.”

Meet Doris: After finishing senior high school, Doris decided to work for Global Mamas upon discovering the office was right behind her house! Doris works as a bead assembler and loves to make earrings, especially the Sister Earrings. Since coming to Global Mamas, she has been able to save her money, enabling her to purchase the things she wants and pay her electricity bills. Doris lives in her family home with her six siblings and parents. In her free time, she and her family do their laundry and sell rice. Doris hopes to go back to school to study education so she can teach beadmaking.

When asked what she’d like to share with those who buy her products, Doris says, “Our products are good quality, so please order more of them!”

Edem Homado, Seamstress (Ho, Ghana)

A Global Mama since 2008, Edem became a seamstress in late 2007 but already had an eye and an appreciation for quality and creative designs, which is one of the reasons she enjoys working with the cooperative. She currently lives with her parents and they often help her out with caring for her daughter, Philomina, whom Edem hopes will become a nurse someday. She sees herself working with the cooperative for a long time and she feels good about the contribution she is making just through her work.

Edna Kwame, Beadmaker (Odumase-Krobo, Ghana)

“Prosperity means that I've been able to expand my business over the years and hire apprentices.”

Meet Edna: A longtime Global Mama, beadmaker Edna thinks a lot about the big picture. She’s pleased that she’s able to access such a big customer market for her beads through the Global Mamas website and that she is paid on time for her work. She’s also truly dedicated to the heritage of beadmaking, having learned from her mother when she was only five years old. These years of family tradition give Edna the ability to create beautifully painted beads, skills which she’s passing on to family members and apprentices.

When asked about her dreams for her three children, Edna says, “I hope that Kennedy, Ellen, and Benedicta will be well-educated and at the same time learn how to make beads.”

Elizabeth “Araba” Aikins, Quality Control Champion (Cape Coast, Ghana)

“To me, prosperity is doing something that you put all your strength and mind and materials into and then get to witness the finished product.”

Meet Elizabeth: After working at a pharmacy for very little pay, Elizabeth learned about Global Mamas from a friend and decided to apply as a temporary worker. She then applied for full time work and was accepted into the program as a quality control seamstress champion. Now that she has the income of a direct employee, Elizabeth has been able to rent a room in a house for herself, allowing for more independence in her life. Moreover, she was empowered in November 2015 to make decisions about sewn items for export. Calm, composed, and always ready to focus on the task at hand, Elizabeth loves working with the Mamas and helping them make their products better. She hopes to further her education by completing tertiary school, and then continue moving up through Global Mamas. What she loves most about her job is that she can see someone wearing the finished product that she had a part in producing.

Elizabeth “Esi” Arkaah, Seamstress (Cape Coast, Ghana)

Elizabeth “Esi” Arkaah hit the ground running after she learned how to sew, opening her own shop and working hard to make it what it is today—a bustling place where multiple apprentices and employees help Esi with enough work to keep them busy all day. Esi loves that Global Mamas carries her products across the globe and wishes her business to improve all the time, not for her own sake but for the benefit of her loved ones. “I want to build a big house in a quiet neighborhood,” she tells us, “I want all my children to go to university and get their masters [degrees]. I also want to buy my own car and help my family.”

Elizabeth Abena Andorful, Seamstress (Cape Coast, Ghana)

Elizabeth Abena Andorful grew up wanting to learn a trade and soon after she first began sewing Elizabeth recognized her love for it. Elizabeth feels that if she could be doing anything, she would still take the path that she has that lead her to be a seamstress. After apprenticing and working four years for another seamstress, Elizabeth decided to be an independent seamstress. She rented a small place for living and is using the porch as a sewing center, which she named Saint Teresa's Fashion. Renting this space marked what Elizabeth sees as her happiest day. Having her own living space and being a Global Mama since summer of 2009 has allowed Elizabeth to care for and support the most important people to her – her two sons. Elizabeth hopes to one day go back to fashion school and then open her own shop with everything that she learns.

Elizabeth Ampiah, Batiker (Cape Coast, Ghana)

“To me, prosperity is having your family and being able to take them to school and having a place for them to live. Prosperity is based in the family.”

Meet Elizabeth: One of the founding Mamas, Elizabeth has been batiking since 1995. After attending batik school with fellow Mama Emma, she used her knowledge of batiking to create designs that she entered into a trade show. When she was picked as one of the six finalists in the show, Elizabeth knew she had found her calling. “My pay went up and my happiness went up after I started batiking.” She opened up a shop with Emma, but when batiking became a highly competitive industry in Ghana, the store struggled as larger customers delayed their payment for months. All of this changed when Emma and Elizabeth became founding members of Global Mamas, setting an example of hard work and smart business for all future Mamas. Elizabeth notes that many other Mamas respect her current business, EliAma, because she and her partner have proven that a business in batiking is sustainable and profitable.

“I know I will have achieved prosperity when I am fully dependent on myself and no longer dependent on other people.”

Elizabeth Asem, Batiker (Cape Coast, Ghana)

“To me, prosperity is achieving all good that is pertaining to life.”

Meet Elizabeth: Elizabeth first heard about Global Mamas through a friend and has been a Mama since 2012. When she started as an independent seamstress, she found most of her work to have unreliable pay. She has since found more security in pay and work since batiking for Global Mamas. Global Mamas has already helped Elizabeth support her family; she is now able to help her husband to pay for her two kids to go through school and onto University. Elizabeth is also able to pay the fees for her sister’s nursing school. Her daughter, Gifty, helps Elizabeth with her batiking. Gifty hopes to one day be a teacher, but is happy to be working with the Mamas today. In the future, Elizabeth is planning to save money in order to build herself a workshop at her house.

To her customers who are wearing her masterpieces, Elizabeth urges you to “Keep on wearing the African way!”