COVID-19 STATEMENT
The Covid-19 crisis is bringing about huge change to all of our lives, to our work here at ATE and the charity sector, whose role as society’s lifeline is now more vital than ever. With coronavirus being a truly global pandemic, we remain extremely concerned about the people of Lawra Municipal in Upper West, Ghana, where the impact of the crisis continues to exacerbate the extreme poverty that many live in. We remain agile, using creative ways to continue our work remotely where necessary; particularly to ensure the most vulnerable people we support have access to food, healthcare and other essential basic needs. Read about our Rebuild Campaign here – aiming to respond to urgent need, recover the damage, and rebuild for the future.
Transforming communities through empowerment
We work to reduce poverty in Lawra, rural Ghana, where the majority rely on subsistence farming and food is scarce for months at a time.
What we’ve been up to
Special Needs Awareness Programme
Our normal SNAP activities may be postponed, but the needs of our members are more vital than ever. Our SNAP team have been making regular distributions of food, soap and masks to the families of disabled children, and providing hygiene demonstrations – in April they reached 76 families.
Small Business Development Programme ATE seamstresses Mercy and Theresa have made a total of 790 masks so far which have been distributed to ATE staff and the most vulnerable in the community. We’re thrilled to be able to support businesses to adapt, and even thrive, in such difficult circumstances.
Access to Education Programme We have distributed food, soap and masks to students at our most rural schools who have been significantly affected by the school closures. In rural communities, with the lean season in full swing, most children are only eating a maximum of once a day. Thanks to donations to our Emergency Appeal, and funding from Ghana School Aid, we’ve been able to support these communities.

Meet the team
Looking after our fantastic staff, particularly during this difficult period, remains our priority. We’ve ensured all staff have hygiene packs to make sure that they are as safe as possible whilst at work, and have weekly (online!) full team meetings to check in.
Our Impact
How we work
We’re implementing a strategy of integrated programmes to tackle the cycle of poverty, which reach a broad cross-section of the community in defined rural areas. We call this strategy our ‘Hub Model’.


Where does your donation go?
84p of every pound donated goes directly towards our project costs in Ghana, and the rest goes on making sure the charity runs effectively so that all that can happen. We are financially transparent and carefully monitor and evaluate our work to ensure that the money you donate is used in the best way possible.