By Sarah Annable-Gardner
“My week in Ghana has moved me beyond words. Seeing the impact of Action Through Enterprise has taken my breath away, my heart has literally felt like it will burst with joy over and over again.”
In June, Action Through Enterprise Chief Executive, Sarah Annable-Gardner made an inspiration trip to Upper West Ghana. Here are some of the people she meet – people whose lives has changed because of our work.
The heart of our work
Right from the very beginning school lunches have been at the heart of Action Through Enterprise – ATEs work. We wanted to make sure that children weren’t hungry, and that they could go to school – my instincts were crystal clear that it was the best thing to do. And 13 years later, I am completely convinced that this straight forward, community lead work is the simplest and cheapest way to break the cycle of poverty.
A bowl of food encourages a child to school, makes sure she can concentrate, keeps her healthy and gives her the best chance of passing her exams. Today, we do so much more than meals- we provide monthly sanitary pads, learning materials, scholarships and sports equipment, as well as access to tech and library services. And these kids are thriving.
- We’ve served 1.82 millions meals
- Supported 3600 children through school
- All for just 30pence per meal – a tiny price to pay for a child to come to school.
I love this work with my whole heart. Thank you so much to everyone who makes it possible.
New school!
We’re growing, again! It was inspiring to spend time at Tokuu JHS, a school full of hope and potential, as we begin our journey with them.
The community in Tokuu is vibrant. I loved meeting the Chief who have already began mobilising community to build the kitchen, and the teachers who passionately want more for the children they teach. People here want the children to eat everyday so they can concentrate and are healthy, they want text books so they can access the new curriculum, they want children to pass exams so they can go on to live full lives.
It would be easy to be angry about how unfair the world is. And on my recent trip I did give in to some bursts of rage and sadness.
But it’s actually easier to do something about it. To take some action. And i am SO glad we’re taking action in Tokuu, where people are hungry for change.
Because of Action Through Enterprise – ATE, and our incredible community of supporters, this next generation of children in Tokuu have a proper chance of a brilliant future. One where they can earn money. One with hope.
So on we go to Tokuu! Next time I visit there will be more children in this picture, they will be healthier and more confident. I can’t wait for that.
Margaret – weaver, entrepreneur, hero
I met Margaret for the first time in January 2016. She applied for an Action Through Enterprise grant to set up a weaving business in rural Dowine. During her initial home visit, I asked her what she needed to get started, she was very nervous, and whilst she was talking her chair collapsed beneath her.
I helped her up, the ice broke, and we laughed together.
It was such a moment of clarity for me. Here was a highly skilled weaver, a powerful woman – with no equipment. Not even a functioning plastic chair. Yet she was full of fire: passionate, skilled, so determined, and incredibly sure she would make a success of herself.
We funded her business, of course – it was a no brainer. Her grant of just over £220 enabled her to buy the equipment she needed to get started. We also gave her a mentor and 3 years of focused business training.
Visiting her after a long time away, I was completely and utterly amazed and delighted by what I saw. Margaret has absolutely smashed it. Beyond every expectation.
Today, she has a huge weaving business – with 6 full time apprentices and a supply chain selling to the south. She’s training the next generation of weavers and bringing money into Dowine, an injection of much needed cash into this rural economy.
She’s the main bread winner in her home supported enthusiastically by her husband, AND, with her profits, she has opened her own shop! She’s selling food and smocks (made from her beautiful cloth), and it’s now a thriving business too.
A woman entrepreneur. Successful and empowered. Her achievements rippling out and impacting the whole community. She is brilliant. She gives me hope.
I am so glad we invested that £220 in her all of those years ago. This incredible woman is absolute testament to the long-term success of our work, that intervention in the right people at the right time, can change the world.
Margaret Bayel you are truly AMAZING.
I can’t wait to see what you do next.
Lawrence – loves learning, loves his friends
I had the wonderful pleasure of visiting this sunny, engaging, happy boy at his school. Born with profound physical disability, 14 year old Lawrence has spent his whole life at his ultra rural home with his loving family. He lived his life on the floor, unable to get to school.
We delivered his wheelchair in May, and he immediately enrolled in school. He loves it, he loves learning, he loves his friends, and his parents are so incredibly supportive of his education.
This is a particularly special one for me because I raised the funds specifically for him by running the Bath Half Marathon in March. My friends and family donated, as they always do ( and I’m so grateful), to get Lawrence off the floor and into the classroom. Seeing him there was truly beautiful.
Sadly, his government school building is horribly incomplete – the walls are not plastered, the windows are holes in the wall, the floor is rough and dirty. We’re building a ramp, so he can enter the building with dignity.
The problems in Upper West Ghana can feel huge, I’m so proud to play our part in making life better.
The incredible ATE team – they absolutely blew me away.
Overwhelmingly, the very best thing about being in Ghana was spending time with the exceptional team that is Action Through Enterprise.
Since I was last there, our staff has grown exponentially – now with 45 employees in country all locally recruited and locally trained by our exceptional local leaders
A huge priority for my trip was to get to know the core team. I was so excited to connect, inspire, build my relationships – and see them in action! And they absolutely blew me away.
It was beyond incredible to see the careful, compassionate, strategic way our team are working. In the hardest of places, where your heart can break over and over again, they are genuinely making miracles happen. And best of all, they are doing it with kindness at the heart of every interaction and every decision.
Over and over again, I was overwhelmed with their commitment, their resilience, and their skill. They are excellent at what they do! From world class business workshops to managing large scale feeding programmes to ensuring disabled children are accepted – it’s all miraculous, it’s all making a giant difference. And they’re doing it, they’ve done it – they’ve made it all happen.
I am so proud to be part of this team. They are changing the world, and doing it with tremendous dignity and never ending kindness.
