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And this season of SDGs Explained, we're exploring incredible projects currently underway
under the leadership of Mandela Washington Fellowship recipients across the African continent.
I'm your host, Cindy Burleson, chairman of the International Sibling Society.
Today we sit in the studio of the Innovation Center in Reno, Nevada.
Our guest comes all the way from Ghana.
Please welcome Wendy Ajuricum, a passionate changemaker and advocate for sustainable development.
Wendy, it's a pleasure to sit across from you in the studio today and have you on the
show.
Thank you, Cindy.
I'm thrilled to be here and share my experiences and the inspiring work happening in Ghana.
Fantastic.
Let's just dive right on in then.
To start, could you tell us about your project and how it aligns with the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals?
Absolutely, Cindy.
My nonprofit is the Wyneth Hope Foundation based in Ghana, a country rich in gold and
minerals in the western part of Africa.
You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel, Wyneth
Hope Foundation.
Although our country is blessed with gold and precious minerals under the surface of
the land, our organization is dedicated to addressing the basic needs of marginalized
individuals in my country.
We help marginalized individuals access food, shelter, and clothing, as well as providing
vocational skills training.
Through this initiative, we aim to contribute to sustainable development goals, including
goal one, two, three, four, five, and eight.
So goal one is no poverty, right?
Yes.
And goal two?
Zero.
Zero hunger?
Exactly.
What about three?
Good health and well-being.
And four, quality education.
And five is gender equality.
And eight is decent work and economic growth.
Okay.
We're definitely going to have to revisit those topics and come back.
But you mentioned that the Wyneth Hope Foundation helps marginalized individuals.
What is a marginalized individual in Ghana?
And who are we talking about here?
Marginalized individuals are those whose voices are often silenced, whose dreams are overshadowed,
and whose potential is untapped.
These underserved communities face countless challenges and barriers in their pursuit of
a better life.
They are single mothers, street children, orphaned homes, and children, men and women
living in poverty.
Well, Wendy, that explains a lot.
Well, let's take the time to get to know your organization better.
What are the aims or the goals of the Wyneth Hope Foundation?
Absolutely.
Our aim is to equip and inspire the next generation from deprived communities, streets, et cetera,
with quality education, creative workshops, and training activities for a successful future.
I also provide them with the much needed tools, support, and resources for their growth and
development.
What kind of activities does the Wyneth Hope Foundation do?
We offer free vocational skill training.
These trainings come in 27 different models that they get to choose from.
A few are hairstyling, machinery, fashion design, makeup, and many more.
We also offer health screenings where we screen orphanage homes and their caregivers, street
children, pre-medical screening to detect whatever is wrong with them and give them
medication for that.
And if we have to refer them to the hospital and pay their medical bills, we do that as
well.
We also assist people in paying their medical bills.
So we visit hospitals in Ghana and also get to know the people who are not able to pay
their bills and they are being quarantined there because of that.
We help them pay their bills, clear their bills, and then they get to go back home,
especially with pregnant women who just give birth.
Also, we have donations in forms of food and supplies to underprivileged centers.
So we visit marginalized communities where we get to meet mentally challenged or physically
challenged individuals, orphanage homes, and we supply them with their basic needs.
These are some amazing activities.
Wendy, what's the target group that the Wyneth Hope Foundation activities try to reach?
Basically, we try to reach the single mothers who dropped out of school because of teenage
pregnancies.
These people are between the ages of 18 and above.
Also, we target orphan homes, the aged, so the old people in our community who are being
marginalized because people think they have some kind of negative effect in their family.
We reach out to them as well.
We reach out to needy Babylon students.
These people, we help them pay their school fees and continue with their studies.
We help physically and mentally challenged people, street children, and also patients
struggling to pay their medical bills.
Well, people around the world hear stories of these type of things and what you're describing
here, and they want to help.
Yeah.
And they want to volunteer.
They want to show up, and they want to help.
So can you give us some details about the Wyneth Hope Foundation volunteer activities?
You host international volunteers or national volunteers?
So far, all our volunteers are locally.
All our volunteers come from Ghana.
We don't have any international volunteers yet, and we are hoping to collaborate with
anybody who is willing to come on board and be part of our organization.
That would be a privilege.
So I hear you say then that you welcome international volunteer efforts and maybe some that have
real experience organizing internationally.
Exactly.
You take all the help you could get.
Yes, I'm here for all that.
That sounds great.
And of course, the flip side to volunteering is that volunteer receives so much in return
as far as experiences and helping, especially when you're working together on shared goals
like the Sustainable Development Goals.
Well, how many people work in the Wyneth Hope Foundation staff?
How many people do you?
We have 16 people we are working with at the moment.
So we have 10 people who are members.
So members are the people that get to vote, that get to also bring up their ideas.
We help the organization.
We have people we call associate members.
These are very busy people like the bank managers and those who work in some of the institutions
where they cannot come physically to most of our projects, but they send their money
every month as a contribution towards our project.
So in total, we have 16 people we work with.
Well, of these 16 people and all your community partners locally and professionally and internationally,
give us a short description of how the Wyneth Hope Foundation is organized, maybe a brief
organizational structure breakdown.
Okay, so we have an advisory board.
These are the people we send all our projects to for advice.
So let's say if this year we have four projects that we are going to embark on, we fall on
our advisory board for them to vet our projects.
And then after they come back with feedbacks, we take them in good faith.
And also as the CEO, I take it over to my project managers and my members to also deliberate
which ones will be done first, which ones we have to hang on to, and which ones are
easy to implement and time bond.
So in as much as we have our goals and we have what we are doing in a year, should in
any time a project comes up which demands urgent need, let's say a child suffering from
cancer needs donation to undergo surgery, we also prioritize those projects.
And we are also conscious about the effort of donor fatigue because it's not always that
you are knocking on people's doors and asking for contributions.
So we are also in line with that.
So when we conclude on everything, the project management take over the project, we have
the PROs doing the thing, the finance people bringing on board, we have volunteers that
come on board and the project is a success.
Fantastic, Wendy.
Well the Winnett Hope Foundation sounds like a sound organization ready to partner up with
other organizations to achieve shared goals.
Speaking of shared goals, as you know the sustainable development goals are a set of
17 globally adopted goals that the United Nations agreed upon, member nations agreed
upon in resolution format means an honor, down by their honor, by their honor only.
They adopted these resolutions in 2015 so by their honor they agreed to address various
social, economic and environmental challenges and promote sustainable development worldwide.
Let's explore how the Winnett Hope Foundation initiatives in Ghana align with each of these
sustainable development goals.
You mentioned goal number one which was no poverty.
Exactly.
The Winnett Hope Foundation offers to address the basic needs of marginalized individuals
such as providing access to food, shelter and clothing directly to contribute to goal
number one.
By assisting those living in poverty, the foundation aims to reduce the number of people
living below the poverty line in Ghana and approves their overall living conditions.
The Winnett Hope Foundation is also addressing goal number two which is zero hunger.
The foundation's focus on providing marginalized individuals with access to food helps to tackle
hunger and malnutrition in Ghana.
By supporting food security initiatives and providing assistance to those in need, the
organization contributes to achieving goal number two, ensuring that everyone has access
to safe, nutritious and sufficient food.
You also mentioned goal number three, good health and well-being.
The Winnett Hope Foundation efforts to address the basic needs of marginalized individuals
including access to shelter and healthcare services do align with goal number three.
By improving living conditions and promoting healthcare initiatives, the foundation works
towards enhancing the health and well-being of marginalized communities in Ghana.
You also mentioned goal number four, quality education.
Through vocational training or vocational skills training, the foundation is contributing
to goal number four by providing marginalized individuals with opportunities to acquire
relevant skills and knowledge.
Access to quality education and vocational training can empower individuals to improve
their livelihoods and break the cycle of poverty.
The Winnett Hope Foundation is also addressing goal number five which is gender equality.
The foundation's initiative can play a role in advancing goal number five by ensuring
that both men and women from marginalized communities have access to the support and
opportunities provided.
By promoting gender equality in their programs, the foundation fosters an inclusive and equitable
community.
And then the last goal that you identified with was goal number eight.
Yes, that's my favorite.
I like that one too.
Decent work and economic growth.
The vocational skill training offered by the Winnett Hope Foundation can contribute to
goal eight by equipping marginalized individuals with needs or with skills needed to secure
decent employment opportunities.
By promoting economic growth and decent work, the organization helps individuals achieve
sustainable livelihoods and uplifts their communities.
And I definitely say that overall, the Winnett Hope Foundation's dedication to addressing
the basic needs of marginalized individuals in Ghana aligns with several crucial sustainable
development goals.
By focusing on poverty alleviation, hunger eradication, health care improvement, education,
gender equality, and economic growth, the foundation's initiatives have the potential
to create positive and lasting impacts on the lives of marginalized communities.
Well, Wendy, how did you come up with the idea for the Winnett Hope Foundation?
And what motivated you to pursue it?
So Cindy, growing up, I experienced the selflessness of my late grandmother, who was always a generous
giver.
At the time, my siblings and I often complained about her giving away our best possessions
without understanding her reasoning.
However, as the years passed, my sister and I co-founded a nonprofit organization to honor
our grandmother's legacy and make a genuine impact on the lives of those in need.
Over the course of nine years, our nonprofit group has been able to provide support to
orphanages and disabled homes, offer free skill training programs, assist brilliant
but needy students, and provide free vocational training.
These efforts are a way of continuing our grandmother's spirit of giving and extending
a helping hand to marginalized individuals and communities.
Through our nonprofit, we aim to create opportunities for those in need, empower them with valuable
skills, and support their educational journeys.
It's a fulfilling experience to witness the positive impact we can make by continuing
my grandmother's legacy of compassion and generosity.
Your dedication is inspiring, Wendy.
Could you walk us through the process of implementing your project?
What steps have you taken to ensure it's successful?
Personally, Cindy, to ensure the effectiveness of our initiatives, we start by conducting
comprehensive research to identify the specific groups in need of our assistance.
In addition to our research efforts, we engage with our online community through social media,
encouraging them to suggest communities or individuals that require support.
This helps us broaden our reach and connect with those who may not be directly visible.
Collaboration is a crucial aspect of our approach.
We work closely with local stakeholders, such as the community leaders and organizations,
to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and needs of the community we aim to assist.
Additionally, we establish partnerships with international organizations and institutions
to leverage their expertise and resources, enhancing the impact of our interventions.
To maintain a structured and organized approach, our team annually plans out our projects.
Through thorough discussions and careful consideration, we determine the focus areas, goals, and activities
for the year ahead.
This allows us to allocate resources effectively and ensure that our efforts are targeted and
aligned with our mission.
By combining research, collaboration, and strategic planning, we strive to maximize
the positive impacts of our nonprofit organization and create sustainable solutions for those
in need.
Well, that's impressive how comprehensive your approach is.
But Wendy, could you share with us some of the positive impacts your project has had
on the community?
Absolutely, Cindy.
We are delighted to witness the substantial progress we have made in raising awareness
about the centers that have benefited from our nonprofit organization.
By making these centers known to the public, we have been able to generate donations and
support for their crucial work.
In addition to providing financial assistance, we also prioritize the training and empowerment
of caregivers, teenage mothers, and young men through free vocational skills programs.
These initiatives have played a significant role in reducing unemployment rates and dependency
within these communities.
We believe that by equipping individuals with valuable skills, we are enabling them to create
sustainable livelihoods for themselves and others.
One particular project we have developed and termed Impact to Impact holds great importance.
Upon completing their vocational training, participants have the opportunity to establish
their own businesses and become trainers themselves, passing on their knowledge and skills to others.
This creates a ripple effect, multiplying the impact of our efforts and promoting self-sufficiency
within the communities we serve.
Through these initiatives, we strive to break the cycle of poverty and dependency, promoting
empowerment and fostering a sense of urgency among marginalized individuals.
We are proud to see the positive outcomes that our organization have achieved and remain
committed to making a lasting difference in the lives of those we support.
Well that's incredible.
Before we wrap it up, Wendy, do you have any advice or key learnings that you'd like to
share with our listeners who might be interested in undertaking a similar project in their
country?
Of course, Cindy.
It's essential for all of us to embrace generosity and demonstrate love towards the less privileged
in society whenever possible.
By doing so, we can contribute to reviving hope and making a positive impact on lives,
aligning with the principles of sustainable development goals.
Furthermore, fostering partnerships and collaboration is crucial for the success of our organization.
We warmly welcome partners from around the world who share our vision and are interested
in joining forces with us.
Through collaborations, we can leverage diverse perspectives, expertise, and resources to
maximize our collective impact and create meaningful change.
Together, let us continue to extend a helping hand, revive hope, and uplift the lives of
those in need.
By working collaboratively and embracing the sustainable development goals, we can foster
sustainable and inclusive development for a better future.
Do well to subscribe to this channel.
That's excellent advice, Wendy.
Tell us once again where we can find you on the planet and online.
How do we find you?
On Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, you can find us by typing Winneth Hope Foundation,
and that's our name.
Thank you very much for your audience.
Absolutely.
Thank you, Wendy, for sharing your incredible project with us today.
It's been a pleasure to honor and highlight your work and the impact you're making on
the planet.
We wish you all the continued success in your future endeavors.
To our listeners, thank you for tuning in to the International Subway Society's SDG
Explained podcast.
Stay tuned for more inspiring stories and projects aligned with the sustainable development
goals.
Remember, together we can make a difference.
Thank you, Cindy.
It's a pleasure sharing my journey with you and your listeners.
To our listeners, thank you for tuning in to SDG Explained today.
Join us next time when you've found our podcast here today, or you can search for us by name,
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