Meet The Mamas

Elizabeth Kumah, Beadmaker (Odumase-Krobo, Ghana)

“Prosperity, to me, is when my business is growing.”

Meet Elizabeth: After being recruited by Global Mamas in the bead market, bead seller Elizabeth has seen her business expand. She is thankful for the reliable and regular orders that Global Mamas provides her. With her business expanding, Elizabeth now runs three large display tables in the local market and has seen her income increase significantly. She is proud that she is able to pay for the education of her four children and hopes that they do well and have a bright future. In her free time, Elizabeth loves to design beads and cook plantain stew.

When asked what she would like to tell the women wearing her beads, Elizabeth says, “May God be with them, and may they have a long life and prosperity!”

Elizabeth Nartey, Seamstress (Prampram, Ghana)

“Prosperity means finally being computer literate! The world is being taken over by IT and having no knowledge of IT would be detrimental.”

Meet Elizabeth: Elizabeth joined Global Mamas as a seamstress after learning about the organization from a friend. In addition to learning new sewing patterns and skills, Elizabeth really enjoys working in Ashaiman’s team-based workshop. Her team of three seamstresses is called Adom, which means ‘grace’ in the Ghanaian language of Twi. The Adom team coordinates orders together and encourages one another to work hard! Elizabeth’s second son was recently born and she and her husband, a construction worker, believe that education as the key to a successful future. On the weekends, she enjoys cooking a Ghanaian dish called fufu for her family.

To the women around the world wearing her products, Elizabeth says, “Thank you for buying our products. You should continue to buy every day and tell a friend to buy Global Mamas too!”

Ellen Amartey, Seamstress (Cape Coast, Ghana)

If you ask Ellen Hudges Amartey, she will make sure that you know she is a dressmaker rather than a seamstress. She adamantly describes her occupation as such, because she wants people to recognize the devotion that goes into every dress that she makes. Ellen Amartey has been practicing the skills of a dressmaker since she was in Senior High School and loves everything about sewing, from the beginning cuts to the end product. Ellen works out of her home on the campus of Holy Child, where her husband is a teacher. With the help of two workers and an apprentice, Ellen's machines are constantly in use. In the rare times when Ellen is not sewing or busy with her two children, she likes to read. Ellen hopes to one day establish her own dressmaking school, through which she can teach the younger generation what she has learned about the trade.

Elsie Amonoo, Seamstress (Cape Coast, Ghana)

“To me, prosperity is happiness and being educated.”

Meet Elsie: A dreamer, Elsie loves to dream of travelling to South Africa. She admires South African dances and festivals. Elsie admits that she even draws inspiration from South African fashion. A seamstress in Cape Coast, Elsie joined Global Mamas when she was introduced to Wisdom, a Cape Coast employee. Since, Global Mamas has supplied her with men’s shirt orders which greatly increases her business, she says. When not sewing men’s shirts, Elsie loves listening to Hill Songs, her favorite gospel group. Her favorite food is rice and light soup.

“My proudest achievement is using my business to pay rent and support my junior brother in school.”

Emelia Batsa, Bead Assembler (Odumase-Krobo, Ghana)

“Prosperity, to me, is to be able to save enough money to go back to school and become a nurse.”

Meet Emelia: Prior to joining Global Mamas as a quality control employee, Emelia worked at a call center. She feels the most valuable skill she has learned at Global Mamas is how to design beads and grind glass, which is part of the beadmaking process. She’s pleased that she has been able to support her mother and sister while saving money for herself. When she is not working, she enjoys watching foreign films, listening to gospel music, and cooking her favorite dish—rice and stew. In addition to her personal dream of becoming a nurse, Emelia wishes to see her community become clean and well-developed.

To all the people who buy Global Mamas products, Emelia says, “Thank you for buying Global Mamas products, and you should keep buying!”

Emma Myers, Co-Founder & Batiker (Cape Coast, Ghana)

Emma and Elizabeth were a dynamic duo from the beginning, forging a fast friendship as employees on an assembly line 23 years ago and enrolling in Batiking School together. After graduation they opened “Eli-Emma Batik & Tye-Dye,” 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 Eli became founding members of Global Mamas, setting an example of hard work and smart business for all future Mamas. Nearly ten years and many orders later, Eli and Emma remain model Mamas while supporting families of their own. Voicing the very mission of Global Mamas, Eli and Emma share that, “we are proud to be independent women.”

Emmanuel Ayertey Narh, Beadmaker (Odumase-Krobo, Ghana)

“Prosperity is seeing the shelves of my provisions store full, where before they were empty.”

Meet Emmanuel, a Global Papa since 2014: In addition to his beadmaking business, Emmanuel runs a provisions store. The biggest change in his life since becoming a beadmaker for Global Mamas is that he can invest more money in his store. With five children to support, Emmanuel appreciates that Global Mamas is a steady customer who pays on time. He’s hopeful for his children’s futures, saying that he wants to see them get an education, but understands that not everyone does well in school and that he’d be just as pleased for them to pursue a trade. When describing life with his wife and children, Emmanuel notes that his children help out at his business on Saturday and then attend church together on Sundays.

When asked about his dreams for the future, Emmanuel describes one that he’s partway to achieving: “Since joining Global Mamas, I’ve begun building a house on some property that we own.”

Esther Aggrey-fynn, Quality Control (Cape Coast, Ghana)

“To me, prosperity is being able to give to your children or other’s children, or take care of your health, pay your own medical bills .“

Meet Esther: She has worked at Global Mama since 2012, Esther as a quality control batik and seamstress champion as well as a tour guide for volunteers. She was encouraged by a Mama to apply to this organization and it has since helped her in many ways. Esther explains that “I am asthmatic and the drug for asthma is very expensive. Before I could not afford to pay it myself, but after working with Global Mamas, I am able to buy the drug without the help of anyone.” Her most fundamental goal is to provide for her family. By working at Global Mamas, she achieves a steady income to take care of her sister’s three children. As an ambitious young woman, her dream is to own and manage her own business. She hopes that her work with Global Mamas will provide her with enough savings to open a cosmetic shop and develop as an entrepreneur.

Esther Gyepi-Garbrah, Seamstress (Cape Coast, Ghana)

Esther Gyepi-Garbrah has come far from when she started working as a seamstress in her bedroom, using a borrowed manual sewing machine. After dealing with customers who delayed payment and export partners who cheated her, Esther is grateful for the reliable business that comes from working with Global Mamas. With her perseverance and dependable work ethic, Esther has maintained a loyal customer base and taught many apprentices over the years. “Through Global Mamas, I have been able to achieve my dream of helping people.” She says, “Before Global Mamas, my income was limited and I could not afford to help others. I will always appreciate that Global Mamas has helped me help others. They have helped a lot. They have done their best.”

Eugenia Akuete, Soap Makers (Adenta)

Eugenia Akuete founded Naasakle, a shea butter production company, in 2002. In testament to the power of her high quality products, dedicated customers, and growing consumer awareness of the benefits of shea butter, Naasakle’s production grew from 50 to 3,000 pounds in three years. Despite the growing success of Naasakle, Eugenia misses her children who remain in the United States, and at times she misses how smoothly things seem to run there. “You can do business without so many surprises!” she chuckles. But what matters more to her is helping those truly in need and building the strong relationships that ultimately make a difference in people’s lives.

Eunice Mensah, Bead Assembler (Odumase-Krobo, Ghana)

“Prosperity is having a good job and being able to pay for my children’s school fees.”

Meet Eunice: When Eunice’s pastor passed by the Global Mamas Krobo location and met some employees, he told Eunice about the opportunity to work as a bead assembler. Prior to working at Global Mamas, Eunice was out of work. She is happy that she has now gained skills in assembling beads, especially in making necklaces. Eunice lives with her husband, a science teacher, and her two young daughters, Juliet and Princess. Since joining Global Mamas, she has been able to send her daughters to private school so they can enjoy higher quality education and hopes they will become a nurse and a teacher. In the future, Eunice would like teach Krobo, the language spoken in the Krobo area.

When asked about her proudest achievement since joining Global Mamas, Eunice says, “I am proud of myself because I am happy every day.”

Eunice Tetteh, Soap Makers (Adenta, Ghana)

Though technically her niece, everyone knows Eunice as the other daughter of Naasakle owner Eugenia! Eunice is young, ambitious, and enjoys working in the shea butter industry. She has been working with Naasakle since 2008 as administrative assistant, and she especially loves hearing people say how much shea products have helped them. Customers also often come up with different product ideas, and Eunice enjoys experimenting to meet their needs, creating products like citronella and shea butter as a moisturizing insect repellent! Though she enjoys creating products for the international market, she also wants to create products that appeal to the local market. She is putting her creative forces to work to create products that appeal to Ghanaian customers.

Faustina “Faustie” Tetteh, Batiker (Prampram, Ghana)

“Prosperity means being in good health, owning property, cars, a store… and living a life that is pleasing to God Almighty!”

Meet Faustie: Batiker Faustie heard about Global Mamas when she worked near our former site in the town of Prampram. Though she knew how to tie dye fabrics, Faustie asked a friend to train her in batiking so that she could interview for a batiking position at Global Mamas. Since she joined the organization, Faustie says she’s enjoyed learning many batik designs; her favorites are roses and hydrangea. She’d like to eventually own her own batik shop and hopes to continue learning business skills. When Faustie speaks about how she’s working towards her ultimate dream—visiting the U.S.—her eyes light up. In the meantime, she helps support her elder son, a welder, and encourages her younger son, a teacher, to further his university education.

“I want to help my children’s educational background so it will be better than mine.”

Faustina Antwi, Batiker (Cape Coast, Ghana)

A native of Cape Coast, Faustina Antwi is one of the most educated batikers working for Global Mamas. She completed her tertiary education at Kunst University, located in Kumasi. Although majoring in textiles, she gravitated towards batiking. She enjoys the creative dimension involved and likes working with the many colors. She lives and works out of the home that she grew up in, living with her parents and sister. Here she has a substantial amount of space where she and her apprentice can work and she can also save money to pay back her college loans. Faustina was drawn to the philosophy of Global Mamas and appreciates their efforts in providing a comprehensive education for all of their women. She has personally taken an interest in bookkeeping and the general methods of efficiency, applying both to her business. The future looks bright for Faustina, as she hopes to attain her Masters degree in textiles and open subsequent shops that will generate a significant output.

Felicia “Mami Adjo” Adjo Otu, Beadmaker (Odumase-Krobo, Ghana)

“To be prosperous is to be happy.”

Meet Mami Adjo: Mami Adjo has been selling beads crafted by her siblings for more than 35 years. Holding up strands of colored seed beads, she explains the great skill required to produce such tiny beads. Mami Adjo’s business at the bead market—along with the money her husband makes as a farmer—supports four children, all of whom go to school or have completed their education. Without having gone to school herself, Mami Adjo wants to give her children the opportunities in life that she wasn’t able to have. She feels these opportunities are only possible with the support of Global Mamas.

When asked how working with Global Mamas is different her other customers at the bead market, Mami Adjo says, “It is hard to come by such honest customers.”

Felicia Asente, Seamstress (Cape Coast, Ghana)

“To me prosperity is to being able to work so I can earn money and make a good living.”

Meet Felicia: After Felicia started working with one of the Mamas, she decided to join the community as a seamstress herself. She mainly sews baby blankets and the explorer bag, working in her house on a small hill farther away from the business of the market. Since she first started working with Global Mamas, her sewing skills have improved and she has become a much more efficient producer. Through the training provided by Global Mamas, she has learned more about book keeping and managing her money. With her savings, she was able to buy a new sewing machine and open her own bank account.

Felicia has three kids: a 3 year-old, an 8 year old, and a 17 year old. When she’s not sewing and taking care of her children, she sells onions. Even though she spends most of her time working, she’s passionate about what she does. She would also love to sew more in order to develop her skills as well as to grow her business.

Florence “Kakra” Thannie, Seamstress (Cape Coast, Ghana)

“To me prosperity is buying my industrial sewing machine. It helps me to do my work fast.”

Meet Florence: A seamstress, Florence took the advice of a friend and former Mama to apply to work with Global Mamas. Since starting with the organization, Florence has perfected the design and construction of the weekend bag. She hopes to save enough money to buy more machines and expand her business in the future. In her spare time, she listens to Gospel music and dreams of building a new house where she and her husband can enjoy fufu and light soup on Sunday afternoons.

“I want to open a big shop and have apprentices and more customers and to produce more Global Mama products.”

Florence Thompson, Seamstress (Cape Coast, Ghana)

Before partnering with Global Mamas, Florence Thompson knew she had what it took to be a successful seamstress, but her economic situation made it difficult. Florence was forced to default on a loan and go without electricity for months because she did not have enough money to pay the bills, but all of that changed when she started working with Global Mamas. With over 20 years of sewing experience and the financial jumpstart she needed, today Florence is able to continually improve the quality of her products, do her own bookkeeping, pay her family’s utilities and school fees, and dream for their future. "I pray that one child will be a doctor, one will be a pilot and one will be a journalist," she says.

Florence Worwornyo, Seamstress (Prampram, Ghana)

“Presently I see myself as being prosperous because I own a tailoring shop and live independently with no one taking care of my needs. In the future, I want to own a much bigger tailoring workshop, train apprentices, and own a house.”

Meet Florence: A seamstress, Florence joined Global Mamas at the recommendation of three of her friends who worked at the organization. As she’s learned new skills, she’s perfected the techniques needed to make her favorite product, the Eli dress, and hopes to keep learning more so that she can continue expanding her existing workshop. While she’s working at Global Mamas, she has two employees back at her workshop. Florence plans to use some of her earnings from Global Mamas to purchase an electric sewing machine for her shop. When not at work, she enjoys relaxing on nearby Legacy Beach with friends.

“I feel happy when I see people wearing our products. It makes me feel confident and comforted.”

Georgina “Gina” Abra Afenyo, Batiker (Cape Coast, Ghana)

Georgina “Gina” Afenyo has proved to be a talented batiker and weaver, but she makes the greatest impact through her role as a teacher. When she is not batiking for Global Mamas, Gina trains apprentices at her shop and educates hundreds of girls in her craft at the local high school. Understanding the importance of education, Gina encouraged all of her employees and apprentices to go back to school, even though it means she now works alone. In addition to her indirect support of her many protégées, Gina financially supports multiple people outside of her immediate family. When asked about Global Mamas, Gina tells us, “They have supported me a lot. Global Mamas is regular with payment and orders.”