Power to Girls Foundation

If selected as a winner the Elevate Fund will go towards scaling up our organization's programming in ghana by launching the Power of a Girl Network Program. 

Power of A Girl is an economic empowerment project that engages marginalized adolescent girls through participation in a lifelong social protection net that supports them on their individual journeys of life by creating a holistic personal network of reinforcement & empowerment. The project highlights 3 streams of Economic empowerment for the girls through STEAM,  Entrepreneurship, and Basic Finance with continuous mentorship at the core of the program. 

I’m Aisha Addo and I thrive on working to make the world a better place for women. Although I’m a graduate in Business Administration-Accounting, my true passion and dedication lie in ensuring girls around the world are provided with the guidance and resources that help them identify their true purpose and calling to reach their full potential. I founded Power To Girls Foundation, a non-profit organization to offer young girls the mentors and role models that were absent during my own youth. As a facilitator and director of Power To Girls, I use my personal experiences and knowledge to create safe and engaging spaces for the girls I work with. I am the recipient of the Young Black and Gifted Award for Community Service and I was also named a Black Diversity Group Role Model and One of 100 Black Women to Watch in Canada and among the 150 Black Women making history in Toronto. My Power App a social connection platform created to connect girls to mentors and each other while enhancing their personal development is my latest initiative in continuing to create safe spaces for girls and women.

All over the world, girls face unequal risks and very unique consequences related to the vulnerabilities they experience. Young girls compared to their male counterparts are more likely to drop out of school, marry at an early age, and bear the results of poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Adolescent girls have very distinct physical and social susceptibilities that threaten their basic human rights and livelihoods. This project addresses the needs and opportunities for girls and the importance for girls to be exposed to innovative programming that targets these needs within the communities they reside in.

After its inception Power to Girls has engaged and impacted over 500 girls across Canada and over 200 girls in Ghana. We have successfully designed and implemented holistic programming that addresses the challenges marginalized girls face while providing resources and opportunities for empowerment and skills development; all while employing new modes of social innovation that are culturally relevant and representative of the communities within which we work.

We are dedicated to forming real in-depth relationships with the girls that come through our program by implementing a relationship-based approach to mentoring and building mutually beneficial human connections.

The program will support girls with diverse programming and resources throughout the various stages of their life from primary years to their chosen career field. Once participants have completed their various post-secondary endeavors they will be part of the Power Network for ongoing support and resources; as well as to give back to their communities. Programs are delivered in a hybrid model of In-person / Remote and Community Based.  Program participants will also get access to unlimited support via the “MY POWER” app platform for mentorship and resources.

Girls learn basic entrepreneurship skills from ideation to scale that support and increase their economic autonomy to reduce the cycle of poverty. For these Girls generating an income will not only support their economic independence, but also their life choices, and the prospects for their families. Girls gain overall confidence, and status in their communities being able to provide for themselves and their families, and are important female role models. The project is a scalable one that will launch to target girls in rural communities within the Northern region of Ghana. The model will be replicated in other regions where girls face similar issues including North America, MENA, and Latin America.

Currently, The Northern Region of Ghana where the project will launch has the lowest female literacy rate at 44.3 percent. Girls are often blamed after instances of SGBV and other offenses are perpetrated against them. This project is designed to give girls the voice and autonomy through education and economic empowerment for success but also to return back to communities and become beacons of hope and encouragement for the younger generation. This cyclical model will not only ensure the sustainability of the project but also the normalization of the activities/ participation which will lead to a positive cultural shift.

The Power to Girls Team will take the lead on this project with the support of existing implementing partners based on areas of expertise. The team is made up of individuals that have experienced some of the issues we are working to address and as a result bring their personal experience, educational experience, and passion to make the work effective and impactful for our program beneficiaries. With over 8 years of experience in the field, we deliver programs with a holistic approach and an anti-oppressive lens by ensuring program deliverables are reflective of the needs of our beneficiaries