On Saturday, March 20th G-WAG will have one of its regular monthly
meetings 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. at 4600 Village Oaks Dr. in Dunwoody. What will
be on the agenda? The March 20th general meeting is about our election,
Mrs. Aidoo replies. After a two year term of office for our current
officers, G-WAG is holding an election to elect new officers. This will be
our first election since our inauguration and members are excited and
enthusiastic about the election. G-WAG meetings are open to women who are
Ghanaian, either by birth or heritage, or who is a friend of Ghana. Light
refreshments such as cookies, slices of pound cakes and sodas are served.
According to G-WAG Vice-President Mrs. Agnes Barnor, G-WAG exists in
large part because the many Ghanaians who are in the United States still
maintain a profound connection with Ghana. Mrs. Barnor is very proud of her
native country. Formerly known as the Gold Coast, Ghana was the first
sub-Saharan African country to achieve independence from colonial rule,
Mrs. Barnor relates. In comparison to other African countries, it has
enjoyed relative peace over the last 20 plus years. The country is blessed
with rich mineral resources such as gold, diamond and bauxite. It is also
the world’s second largest producer of cocoa. Ghana boasts charming people
of various ethnicities there are more than 50 languages and dialects
spoken in the country. Of course, no country is perfect and G-WAG’s
Vice-President sees room for improvement in her homeland in the areas of
health care delivery, sanitation, education, efficiency and productivity in
the public sector.
Ghanaians who live in the United States face some special challenges,
Mrs. Barnor believes. A lot of Ghanaian professionals who obtained their
education in Ghana usually have to retrain in order to compete with their
American counterparts, she observes. Sometimes the high costs involved
prevents them from retraining and they end up taking menial jobs in order to
survive and also meet family obligations back home. There is also a large
number of people who face the challenge of regularizing their stay as
immigrants.
What does G-WAG President Pearl Aidoo see as the most important things
G-WAG does? The association is still in its infancy stages, having
inaugurated in April 2008, she answers. Over the last two years we have
made great strides at building an engaged and more visible Ghanaian
community in Georgia through various events. Some of our greatest
accomplishments to date are the launch of a free business directory in
September 2009 for the community (the G-WAG Pages), publication of a
cookbook in December 2009, and the ongoing clothes drive to ship items to
orphanages in Ghana in March. Our strategy for the next couple of years is
to leverage our non-profit tax status to obtain grants and take on bigger
projects to make an impact in the community.
G-WAG President Pearl Aidoo very much looks forward to her association’s
meetings. Interacting with women from different backgrounds opens one’s
mind to new ideas and ways of doing things, she comments. Our women are
passionate about our objectives and their desire to effect change is quite
infectious. Being a part of this group constantly reminds one to step out of
their comfort zone and make a difference in the lives of the disadvantaged
women and children in Ghana. It is fulfilling to know that our little
contribution helps change a life.
To find out more about G-WAG, call 641-715-3900, ext. 48982, 404-202-9587
or 404-886-2652, email or info@ghanawomen.org or visit online at
ghanawomen.org.
