Welcome to Joy2theWorld

Power of Team Worldwide

What can happen when Powerful Global Leaders show up and declare a Project designed to empower women and girls in Africa? Transformation!
Kathleen Gibbs and Kay Farjadi partnered in generating Joy2theWorld, a non-profit micro-lending organization to provide social and economic empowerment for women and girls in poverty through business, education and healthcare. Women are supported with small loans ($56) to grow their existing business, such as selling provisions (produce or cooking supplies), hair stylist, or even a small Chop Bar (restaurant). In turn, the influx of funds spent in the community lifts the community’s overall economy.
Knowing there are women waiting for Joy2theWorld created a sense of urgency and focus. We scheduled our trip for January, 2008 and began building teams to include Clinical Care (nurse), Media (website and film, (thank you Dave at Iplan, Inc.!), Grant Writing, Student Scholarships (Boy Scouts collecting small change), and Environmental. For some, it meant planting seeds (possibilities) with friends who were equally moved and inspired by this Project. Others joined our trip and were totally inspired, returning to the U.S. to build their own teams for future trips. Now that we are back from Ghana, the seeds planted earlier have grown into full commitments and the various teams are ready to take action.

Kay and I started out each day declaring a Possibility that was present. Powerful relationships were created from nothing. We created partnerships with powerful leaders who in turn created teams!

The week started by meeting with the various Chiefs (Nii’s) to get their support. It was the Chiefs who gave their blessings and called the women together to listen to our presentation. Each village has a woman leader who passed on the message. When we prepared for our Joy2theWorld Grand Introduction, we anticipated 100 women in attendance. What showed up were over 300 women, 4 Chiefs and many local dignitaries, dressed elegantly for our grand event. Ah! The power of team!
Once the Nii’s gave their blessing, Kathleen and Kay interviewed potential loan applicants to ask how they would use their loans, if approved. One, Rebecca, wanted to improve her “day care center” with actual merry-go-rounds, toys and slides. Her playground for the 100+ children had no equipment but was shaded and fenced to provide safety.

Another was Dora, who lit up at the idea of creating signage reading “Dora’s Chop Bar”. This interview took place in a village without electricity or running water. All of these villagers live on approximately $1.00/day and live in financial survival but their graciousness and gratitude was priceless.

The Chief’s daughter, Gertrude has had the privilege of an education at university and speaks English. She is effusive with joy and her face is beaming. “Welcome to my father’s palace”. Gertrude immediately offers to help us in any way. As she takes us to her family’s palace, it is a fairly primitive, one story concrete building. It is painted (not for many years) and there are no shrubs, no decorations. There is laundry hanging in the area. Poverty is present but as we walk in to greet her father, he is honored properly as a Chief. He has an aide and wears a turquoise shirt (it reminded me of the beautiful shirts that men wear in the summer in Miami, linen, casual and absorbing.) It is the only material sign of regal living. The men are lined up and sitting royally. We must all pass by their chairs and shake their hands, being sure to cross our left hand resting on our right elbow as we shake with our right hand. This is the appropriate greeting, historically to show both hands (without danger) to the other.
The chief, Nii Clotey Aryeetey, is weathered. He looks very old and dignified. Initially he says nothing. Gertrude begins to talk and someone in his family (sitting next to him) reminds her that she has failed to introduce all of us properly. We begin introductions and Kay, Clara (our nurse) and I are introduced to the family as Joy2the World (I bring Joy2theWorld, I say).

The Chief speaks and tells us (through Gertrude and Samuel, our local guide) that we are welcome. That this is our community and can do what we need to do. An air of pressure is lifted and it feels good to be accepted. This formal introduction means that we can begin our programs with no problems from the chief. The support of the chief means everything.

I lean over to Kay and whisper; do you realize that we are making history? Her face is beaming.

Kotoku is particularly memorable. We arrived at Nii Amoah’s palace and were asked to wait outside. We have several pictures of the outside area, which includes interesting artwork of the many chiefs in the family. This begins with Nii Amoah, I. sitting regally on a throne with his years of life, just like a history book or a tombstone. This area looks like there are parties or celebrations held – there is an area with drums and it is ready for a group of musicians. A goat is tied to a pillar in the music area (which is recessed) – but the goat has shade so this is a gesture of kindness.

What makes the village of Kotoku so interesting and stands out is that it’s Chief has accepted us as the other chiefs have. The royal family is dressed regally in robes (massive material draped over them) and seated in a line as is typical. We greet them with handshakes in procession. We give them a gift (a bottle of Jack Daniels from Kentucky). No fanfare about the gift…it is expected.

At least twice, maybe more, we are told that they have been waiting.

Our final trip to Samsam is a beautiful ride up a mountain. The air gets cooler and clearer. Rows and rows of trees and plants are visible as this is the area where pineapples are grown. There is a manufacturing plant nearby but we swiftly head to the chief’s palace. The palace itself was not particularly memorable; laundry hanging in the patio/open area in the center of the compound. We are sitting on long benches (like picnic benches) and after greeting the royal family in procession we are introduced once again. A gift is passed again.

Nii Anang is sitting royally as we pass through in procession. There is another weathered old man in the royal party that occasionally chants “Hallelujah!” as a response to our participation.

Samuel stands to acknowledge Tony – a man who has helped Samuel to bring Joy2theWorld to Samsam. Tony stands to receive the acknowledgement. Kay leans over to me and says “look at Samuel acknowledge Tony, one on one”. It is beautiful and I realize that it is “us” who are slow to learn.

The feel in this community is fairly joyful and light. After the formalities, there is joking among the younger groups. Tony is clearly respected. Young families are there and a beautiful young girl, maybe 6, Sarah catches my eye. She is standing next to her brother Derrick, maybe 3. They do not smile, though I caught a brief smile starting from Sarah. This is not sadness or anger. It is a reluctance to submit to these white people speaking to their chief. She is aware that something important is happening but not sure what is happening. I will watch Sarah in the years to come. Perhaps she will be a businesswoman, or a doctor or a scientist. As we leave, Derrick approaches waving his hand, smiling.

When we return to our taxis, it appears that people have placed 6 fresh pineapples in our vehicle as a gift.
Joy2theWorld is building a team to design a Green Village with solar panels. This will provide the electricity and refrigeration that will give villagers a brighter future. We met with the Director of the EPA and enrolled him in the idea of solar energy as a means to provide electricity to rural villages. He has put a permission letter in our file to give us full range, in partnership with his organization, to develop our Green Village. Our environmental team will begin email communication in preparation of their visit in August, 2008.

A simple encounter with a gentleman turned into a great relationship with the Head, Quality Control Lab of the Food and Drugs Board for Ghana. Jonathan Martey is so enrolled in our Game that he has offered medicine for our nursing team to provide to villagers in clinics. In addition, he introduced us to Dr. Laud Okine, Director for the Center for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine, a research and development center for W.H.O.

The power of communication was present everywhere! We created amazing relationships in Ghana and will never forget the warm reception, the generosity and the joy of the women in our village. There is nothing wrong here in Ghana. They are whole and complete. Lucky for us they will allow us to contribute to them!

Calendar of Events

No events scheduled at this time.

>>> click here for more