Dana Perino is currently traveling through Ghana and Sierra Leone with ONE and sending back daily updates to the Politico. Dana was the White House Press Secretary 2007-2009 and is a Fox News contributor.
“It’s been nearly two years since I’ve been in Ghana, and I’m so glad to arrive to find progress continuing in governance, entrepreneurship and health. I’m here with the ONE campaign’s Women One-to-One initiative, and I’ve joined a diverse group of women for a week’s worth of observing, question-asking, and story-telling. We’re a long way from Washington and the urgent pressures to help Haiti. Several of us remarked today about the situation, knowing there wasn’t much we could do at the moment in Haiti and we’re grateful for all the people from all over the world are doing to rescue the survivors and to try to give them the shelter, clothing, food and medical care they need in the first days after the earthquake. Ghana is being held up as a model of a country that’s turned around remarkably, and perhaps lessons learned here can apply to Haiti and other countries around the world that are rebuilding from strife – from war, natural disaster, disease and/or crushing poverty (though typically it’s a combination of all of these things that leads to terrible living conditions).
“Our week started with a focus on trade, especially what women are doing to build businesses. There are some success stories – we saw two of them: Edtek and Tekura. Both textiles businesses, batiks and woodworking respectively, are doing well despite a lot of obstacles. They are supported by their husbands, as well as by the West Africa Trade Hub (WATH). … One of my favorite moments of the day was asking Josephine, the owner of Tekura about her process – she still has quality control checks at each step in the process…and she does them herself. She’s not about to let a product leave her doors that isn’t up to her standards. Another favorite thing about Ghana is that people regularly use the word “whilst”. What a great word – let’s all start using it more. So – whilst I’m away in Africa, I’ll keep you updated on the Women One-to-One trip…dp.”
We started our travels in Ghana yesterday with two great visits to Ghanaian women who are operating their own businesses. Staff from the West African Trade Hub accompanied us on our visits and helped explain some of the difficulties and opportunities that businesses in Ghana face. Then we got to sit down and talk to the women themselves about some of these challenges, which range from outdated regulation to extremely high interest rates.
We first met Edwina Assan, who owns Edtex Limited, a handmade textile manufacturing company that specializes in batik prints. We got an opportunity to try designing the fabrics ourselves- and learned that it is a lot harder than it looks! Then we visited Tekura Home Furnishings/Handicrafts and met Josephine, who operates the wood products manufacturing business with her husband, Kweku. They work with the West African Trade Hub to make their products more attractive to American buyers and in the past have sold their product to customers such as Target, TJ Maxx and Pier One.
Today we saw first-hand how important trade is to creating jobs and economic self-sufficiency, especially for women. We were all amazed at how these women business owners overcame to many challenges to run a successful businesses.
Below, you can see a short video with our Sr. Policy Director Erin Thornton at Tekura. As she puts it, it’s been a great way to start our week.
Six days, nine women, one mission: to gain a deeper understanding of the development challenges facing sub-Saharan Africa, through the gender lens.
We’ve led lots of trips to Africa but this one is special both personally and professionally. This time I’m surrounded by an amazing group of women all committing themselves to working with ONE to strengthen the ways in which ONE’s women support the fight against poverty. And this time we’re going to take a fresh view at the continent-by focusing in on the disproportionate challenges women face but more importantly on the critical role African women are playing in finding solutions. When travelling, I’m always reminded of our common humanity but as a mother, sister, daughter and wife myself-the focus on women’s role in the fight against poverty offers yet another thread of connectivity.
We have just arrived in the capital city of Accra in the West African country of Ghana, where we will be spending the next four days before embarking for Sierra Leone. I am surrounded by a delegation of eight prominent women from all walks of life who have come together to learn more about the inspiring work and vast untapped potential that women and girls possess here in Africa.
We are traveling as part of a listening and learning trip to gear up for ONE’s new women’s campaign, Women ONE2ONE, a movement which seeks to promote women’s empowerment – through maternal health, girl’s education and economic opportunity – to fight poverty and preventable disease. The women on this trip exemplify all that this new campaign stands for: women as change-makers, community-builders and peace builders.
ONE’s U.S. Executive Director Sheila Nix and I are accompanied on this trip by a diverse delegation of accomplished, insightful women who know firsthand what impact women can have in their communities and around the world. Some of the women joining us include: Cindy McCain, a humanitarian in her own right and wife of Senator John McCain, who is joining ONE for her second trip to Africa with us; South African musical icon and a leader in the fight against disease and illiteracy Yvonne Chaka Chaka; star of NBC’s television drama Friday Night Lights Connie Britton, who has also dedicated her time to producing a documentary in Ethiopia while also supporting ONE; former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, and the Maureen Orth, an award-winning journalist and Vanity Fair Special Correspondent.
Over the next week, we will visit a wide spectrum of sites and meet with key officials so we can explore how African leadership, civil society and U.S. investments are opening school doors and creating economic opportunity for women and girls. I am eager for our group to further explore how women and girls in developing countries are critical to the health, social and economic well-being of entire communities.
It’s sure to be a fantastic week-with its own challenges, surprises and inspiration. I’m looking forward to meeting women whose stories are sure to stick with me as I and my colleagues think through ways that the U.S. can help empower women to pull their communities out of poverty.
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