Meet The Mamas

Joyce Narh, Bead Assembler (Odumase-Krobo, Ghana)

“Prosperity, to me, is to be able to use my salary to pay for my children’s school fees and have money to feed my family.”

Meet Joyce: Prior to joining Global Mamas as a bead assembler, Joyce was a seamstress. She’s been with Global Mamas since the Krobo site first opened and her favorite products to make are earrings. When she is not working, she enjoys cooking okra stew and singing her favorite gospel song, “Peace of the Lord,” at church. Although Joyce did not complete any formal education, she dreams that someday her daughter will complete school and become a pilot so that she can travel all over the world. For her part, Joyce hopes to someday open her own provisions store.

To the people all over the world buying Global Mamas products, Joyce says, “I am happy that they are buying our products and they should keep buying them!”

Juliana Matey, Beadmaker (Odumase-Krobo, Ghana)

“Prosperity, to me, is expanding my business.”

Meet Juliana: Juliana is thankful for the opportunity to work with Global Mamas. She says, “Thank you for buying our beads. It helps not only me, but also my family.” A widowed mother of five, Juliana balanced motherhood and nursing for 17 years until she decided to follow her true passion of beadmaking and partnered with Global Mamas. Juliana’s management and customer service skills have brought her success and make her a good role model to the other Mamas. With the regular business that Global Mamas brings, Juliana now owns her own shop and financially supports a handful of people, with plans to help many others.

When asked about her dreams for the future, Juliana says, “I love children, so I want to build a school for orphans. Education is very important for their future.”

Juliana Mustafa, Batiker (Cape Coast, Ghana)

Juliana Mustafa is a talented artisan who has established herself as one of Global Mamas finest Cape Coast batikers, but she proudly explains that she is a “mother first and a batiker second.” While her family is most important to her, Juliana is also a successful businesswoman, grateful to Global Mamas for their help,growing her business. “They have organized training and health care programs for us.” She says, “They pay for bulk orders completely, which has helped me buy a car.” However, Juliana nearly always speaks of batiking and business in the context of how it has helped her family, “I am proud of being able to send my children and 5 year old niece to school. I am able to meet all my children's needs.”

Justina Amadey, Bead Assembler (Odumase-Krobo, Ghana)

“Prosperity means being able to save money and continue paying for my daughters’ schooling.”

Meet Justina: A single mother of two and former shoe vendor, Justina decided to work for Global Mamas so she could provide her children with better opportunities. Justina says she is happy to work with Global Mamas because she is always paid on time and feels that Global Mamas treats its workers well. Justina wants to thank Global Mamas and its customers for supporting her and her dream of being able to fund her daughters’ college educations.

When asked to share her own dream, Justina says, “My dream for the future is to continue my education.”

Justina Richmond, Seamstress (Prampram, Ghana)

“I would see myself as prosperous when I own my house and my own tailoring shop.”

Meet Justina: A seamstress who loves to make aprons and potholders, Justina learned to sew from her mother, with whom she apprenticed before being recruited by Global Mamas. During her apprenticeship, Global Mamas came to her mother’s shop and recruited Justina. As she continues to learn new techniques, Justina dreams of one day owning her own shop. Justina spends her weekends singing at her church and teaching young children traditional African dances. Their dance troupe travels around West Africa and hopes to make their first international trip to Greece.

“I would like to thank our Global Mamas customers very much. They buy our products, which allows us to keep working and learning new skills.”

Lawrencia Kumah, Bead Assembler (Odumase-Krobo, Ghana)

“Prosperity, to me, means a reliable monthly salary.”

Meet Lawrencia: After finishing trade school, where she studied dressmaking, Lawrencia saw a sign recruiting bead assemblers for Global Mamas. She has been here ever since and says she’s most proud of having learned about jewelry design. Her favorite products to make are necklaces and ornaments. She’s so passionate about jewelry design that she makes earrings and necklaces for fun on the weekends. In the future, Lawrencia would like to return to dressmaking and open her own shop so that she can further explore her creativity.

When asked what she’d like to share with those who buy her products, Lawrencia says, “I’m happy that I’m here at Global Mamas and very proud of our work because it is good quality.”

Louisa Dadzie, Batiker (Cape Coast, Ghana)

“To me, prosperity is having my own house, something to eat, and moving on smoothly in life.”

Meet Louisa: While still in high school, Louisa spent two years as a batiking apprentice with Global Mamas cofounders Eli and Emma. She absolutely loved working with them, and now she owns her own batiking workshop with two employees. Just as she has grown through Global Mamas, Louisa has also witnessed Global Mamas grow and include more women in their network over the years. She makes products for both her local market as well as women around the world. Because of her work with Global Mamas, she has been able to save up enough money to build her own house in Cape Coast. She is an enthusiastic Yoga Mama – on the weekends, she takes classes at the Global Mamas office. Louisa also enjoys leading batiking workshops. She comments on the reciprocal relationship she has with other Mamas by saying, “I teach other women how to batik, but I learn from them as well.”

Martha Rhule, Batiker (Cape Coast, Ghana)

“To me, prosperity is working hard and getting more money for my family.”

Meet Martha: Martha began her business as both a batiker and seamstress, selling products out of her workshop. After Melanie Popowich introduced her to Global Mamas, she consolidated her business to only batiking. Early on in her career with Global Mamas, many of Martha’s products were rejected due to patchy coloring. But other Mamas convinced her to not give up – and she’s glad she didn’t! Martha practiced and developed her skill, and her hard work paid off. She won the Batikers Award at the 2010 Design Competition for her pebble pattern and was named the Global Mama of the Year in 2014. Martha is now able to pay her rent with ease thanks to Global Mamas, and she has taken in one employee and many apprentices. She hopes to continue producing batik for Global Mamas and to earn enough money to help her seven nieces and nephews complete their educations.

Mary Brote, Shea Producer (Damango)

When Mary Brote was a young girl, she would accompany her mother in collecting shea nuts in the Damongo area. She has been a member of the Damongo Christian Mothers’ Association, which runs the shea butter production initiative in Damongo, for many years. In one day's work, Mary can collect enough shea nuts to fill two bags, each bag containing between 80 and 85 kilograms. Mary receives training to collect only the best quality shea nuts, so all her collected nuts can be used to make shea butter. She now has five grown children and has been able to send each of them though senior high school. Although none of her children are living at home anymore, all of her grandchildren live with her. She is their primary caretaker, as her husband has passed away. Mary hopes that her work with the Christian Mothers’ Association will allow her to continue to care for her grandchildren, and ensure they receive a full education, as their parents were able to do.

Mary Koomson, Batiker (Cape Coast, Ghana)

“To me, prosperity is everything that is good in life: family, work, happiness, money.”

Meet Mary: A batiker, Mary joined Global Mamas because of its community of women. One of Mary’s favorite aspects of the organization is that through fair trade empowerment, she has learned essential skills such as book keeping and better business practices. She is thankful that Global Mamas worked with her to ensure she had all the necessary batiking materials. She is a self-proclaimed ‘convincer,’ and her proudest accomplishment has been convincing non-Ghanaians to wear her African wear, because it shares her culture with the world. Following a day’s work, Mary enjoys spending time with her family and sharing a meal of banku or red red. One day, she hopes to visit the United States because, “[The United States] is a land of dreams, and I like it very much.”

“My proudest business achievement since partnering with Global Mamas is buying a large plot of land for my family.”

Mary Kweku Enyonan, Bead Assembler (Odumase-Krobo, Ghana)

“Prosperity enables me to have pocket money and to pay for my daughter, Annita.”

Meet Mary: Before becoming a bead assembler at Global Mamas, Mary sold and traded beads at the Krobo bead market. One day, she overheard some women discussing their jobs at the Global Mamas Krobo site and decided to apply to work as a bead assembler. Mary is enthusiastic about any work that comes her way and is always up for a challenge. She wants her daughter, Annita, to be the same way. Mary’s dream is to send Annita to secondary school, where she can continue her studies and pursue her passions, such as reading.

To those who buy her products, Mary says enthusiastically, “Keep on buying so we can keep producing!”

Mary Weime, Shea Producer (Damango)

In the late 1970s, Mary and her husband came to Damongo from Navrongo, in Ghana’s Upper East Region. Before coming to Damongo, Mary had never collected shea nuts before, but she began working in Damongo Christian Mothers’ Association’s shea butter production shortly after arriving. Her family now use this source of earnings to subsidize their income. Mary has given birth to seven children, two girls and five boys, two of whom sadly died young. She is also a proud grandmother of one granddaughter. Through working with Christian Mothers’ Association and its partnership with Global Mamas, Mary has been able to earn a fair wage above the national minimum. She hopes to use this improved and stable income to help pay for the education of her younger children and her granddaughter.

Matilda Mills, Seamstress (Cape Coast, Ghana)

Matilda became a seamstress because she wanted to express her independent style. She joined Global Mamas in January 2010, after founding her business two years before. Matilda now employs one worker and two apprentices. With the income she earns from her dressmaking shop she supports her parents and five siblings. Matilda enjoys singing in her free time. She dreams of being a "big woman" someday with her own car and house.

Mavis Thompson, Batiker (Cape Coast, Ghana)

Born and raised in Cape Coast, Mavis Thompson’s story is one of renewed hope. She started batiking in 1989 and soon after opened her own shop called “Press on Towards the Goal.” After experiencing initial success, Mavis was forced to close her shop when a shrinking customer base made it impossible for her to afford the expensive batiking supplies she needed. Mavis was selling lace and curtains by the side of the road when she found Global Mamas, and since then Global Mamas has provided Mavis with a steady income and the means to buy daily food. Mavis is pleased with this change in her situation. “Global Mamas is good,” she says. “They help us. They have given us work to do.”

Maxwell Boateng, Soap Makers (Adenta, Ghana)

Maxwell has been working as an electrician for Naasakle, a Global Mamas shea butter partner, since 2008 and looks forward to his future with the company. His wife Halena trades in skin creams and hair products, and together they support their three children. They are proud to be able to put their children through school, especially because Maxwell remembers the hardship of growing up in a family supported by selling oil and corn. "Some days were good, some days were bad," he recalls.

Molly Linda Djan, Seamstress (Cape Coast, Ghana)

A step into Molly Djan’s apartment block and it reveals the organized chaos of her life as a Global Mama. Several sewing machines whir through patterned dresess and reversible aprons while an apprentice irons finished work and friends stop by to say hello. Molly is busy all day in Cape Coast while she fills orders, manages her current employees, and trains new ones; she is busy on the weekends too when she travels an hour and a half to visit her family in Winneba. This activity energizes Molly, as she tells us “I am proud of my work and giving my niece the opportunity to go to university.”

Patience Treve, People Development Manager (Cape Coast, Ghana)

“Prosperity, to me, is the ability to earn a steady income and be able to meet your financial obligations.”

Meet Patience: Patience has been with Global Mamas since the very beginning. Hired by Renee Adam, Peace Corps volunteer and co-founder, Patience was the first official employee. When asked what her role was at the beginning, Patience claimed, “I did everything!” Now she is the People Development Manager and is responsible for the welfare of all her direct staff,mamas and volunteers. Patience has had the pleasure of growing and learning with Global Mamas, witnessing it progress from 6 Mamas to now over 400 individuals – and she has personally met every single Mama! She is the business mastermind behind Global Mamas, with a diploma in marketing and a degree in management studies. Although she has a lot of favorite things about working for Global Mamas, the passion on which the organization thrives is what keeps her motivated to continue her work. According to Patience, “empowering women to be financially independent is so important because it is an investment that grows the nation’s economy and reduces unemployment; it is also the way to let artisans achieve independence and export their products.” Patience is proud that Global Mamas is a unique kind of company: customers can expect fair trade products of the highest quality that are made with passion and that have a woman’s story woven into it. In her free time, Patience loves to go to church, teach her Sunday school class, and spend time with her family. In the future, if the company is able to stabilize production, Patience hopes to see Global Mamas expand beyond Ghana because their mission is to aid in the prosperity for African women and their families.

“To everyone across the world wearing our product, I will say continue to purchase the fair trade product because you are helping to make a woman proud in Africa.”

Patricia Tandoh, Batiker (Cape Coast, Ghana)

Patricia Tandoh began her batiking career as an apprentice for founding Mamas Eli and Emma, but she never dreamed she would become a Global Mama herself. After years of witnessing how Eli and Emma’s businesses and lives had improved with the help of Global Mamas, Patricia finally sent in her application. "The day that Global Mamas accepted my application was the happiest day of my life.” She says, “I am happy now, because I can control my career and I love the independence that Global Mamas has given me." The benefits of the partnership are mutual, as Patricia recently created a new design for Global Mamas and continues to create beautiful products.

Philomena Stephens, Seamstress (Cape Coast, Ghana)

Philomina Stephens enjoys her work as a seamstress and shop owner, but what she loves about being a Mamas is knowing that the products she sews travel all over the world. It means a lot to Philomina that her name is written on the tags of the clothing she works so hard to sew. Realizing this tag also makes her accountable for her products, Philomina demands high standards from herself and from her employees. These standards have brought her a growing client base and the opportunity to open her own shop, as she says, “Global Mamas has helped a lot. Income is good from Global Mamas.”

Regina Abbey, Seamstress (Prampram, Ghana)

“Prosperity means being able to go back to school to finish my education—even get a bachelor’s degree. It also means being able to own a house and send my children to schools abroad.”

Meet Regina: a mother of four, Regina’s seamstress skills have enabled her to earn enough money to purchase a home. Much of her energy is focused on her family, as Ghanaians are required to pay tuition to send their children to primary and secondary school. With one daughter away at boarding school and her eldest considering studying to be a car mechanic, seeing her children excel has given Regina a renewed curiosity about her own education. “When my children are grown and gone I will go back to school. I’d like to take many different classes, just to see what I like!”

“My hope is for all my children to make their way in the world with choices and independence.”