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 are extremely concerned about the people of Lawra Municipal in Upper West, Ghana, where the crisis continues to exacerbate the extreme poverty that many live in. We will continue to be agile and to use creative ways to continue our work remotely; particularly to ensure the most vulnerable people we support have access to food, healthcare and other essential basic needs. See our statement , Covid-19 Response Timeline and read about our appeal here.
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
Provide 1000+ free
school meals per day
Helped 160+
disabled children
Provided over 100
business grants
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’.
Our latest posts
'The pandemic has posed no challenge to me and my family. I sell the harvested crops and we eat 3 times every day. I eat more often since working with ATE'
The global pandemic has been a disaster for many families in Lawra, but not for Moses. Our support, and his hard work, has kept him safe. We've been working with Moses to increase his farm yields and profits for 3 years, it is wonderful to see it thriving and the difference that this makes at such a challenging time.
Patricia is a qualified weaver! She is the first of our 10 apprentices to complete her 3 year training course, and she is delighted. We have fully funded, facilitated and organised her training, and provided emotional support throughout. We're extremely proud of her, and excited to help her now set up her own business.
Comment on Facebook Patricia is a ...
Excellent she must be so happy. I made a table runner out of my woven strip in my raffle prize it matches my emerald green table cloth perfectly. I can’t demonstrate as Nick is using the dining room as his home office at the moment!
Fantastic, I hope her business does well.
Congratulations to Patricia! How wonderful 💕
Congratulations to Patricia. VOCATE is a life changing program. #ATE
Congrats to Her🎉
Good work done
Heather White ❤️🥳
We continue to provide food and soap to those who need it the most. At this hungry time of year, with the impact of the pandemic hitting rural communities hard, our support has never been more needed.
Comment on Facebook 296614757135002_2860330047430114
What a show of love in these trying times. Bravo
God will continue to shower His blessings to those who joined hands in this support 💕 we loved you all
Where does your donation go?
83p 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.