Help Our Cause

Ataa Kado is 54 years old and resides in Ankaful leprosy camp with his wife, who has leprosy. For over 10 years, weeding on people’s farms has been the only source of livelihood for Ataa Kado and his family.

Ataa stated that prior to settling in the camp, he used to be a bicycle repairer. He would like to receive financial support so that he can purchase tools, and bicycle repair/maintenance accessories. This will enable him to establish a bicycle repair shop in the local community. 

Start-up Cost: $500. USD

Investors: Andel and Celeste Owens - $500

Elizabeth Akulu is 22 years old and resides in Ankaful leprosy camp with her mother, Martha Atidogo, who has leprosy. Elizabeth has been taking care of her mother with the small amount of money she is able to raise from working on people’s farms. 

She is asking for support to start a palm oil production business. Palm oil is a staple oil used by almost every household in the community and beyond. Elizabeth believes a business in the production and selling of the oil will be very lucrative and is excited to start this new venture.

Start-up Cost: $400. (USD)

Investor: Seconda Hollinger - $200.

Investor: DoTERRA Helping Hands - $200.

Fati Kooko is a 43-year-old woman who resides in Ankaful leprosy camp with her 3 children and her mother Adwoa Nyakoa, who has leprosy. Fati cooks and sells millet porridge in the camp. For many years, she has been the sole provider for her mum who has been sick with leprosy for 10 years. Fati finds it difficult to adequately provide for her family’s basic needs with the limited proceeds she makes from selling porridge. Fati has identified the demand for locally manufactured soap in the camp. She has enrolled in a soap making training program and would like to be supported to setup a soap making business. This will enable her make enough money to care for her mother and three children.

Start-up Cost: $1000. (USD)

Investor: DoTERRA Helping Hands - $1000.

Cecilia Awuni is a 30 year old mother of 5 children. She lives in the Ankaful leprosy camp with her father, Thomas Awuni, who has leprosy. She has been taking care of her father with the little money she has been able to raise from the sale of charcoal. She would like to be supported to expand her charcoal business, so that she can generate more income to take better care of her father and her children.

Start-up Cost: $400. (USD)

Investor: Jennifer Epps - $100.

Investor: Sandra Shum - $100.

Investor:  Laurie Chenoweth - $100.

Investor:  Anonymous  - $100.

Fati Zabarma is a 68-year-old woman living in the Ankaful leprosy camp with her three children. She has been sick with leprosy for over 15years. Notwithstanding her condition, she sells groceries and other items for a living. 

Proceeds from her business have never been sufficient to support Fati and her family. She would like to expand her business to generate more income.

Start-up Cost: $200. (USD)

Investor: Anonymous - $100.

Investor: Anonymous - $100.

Alfred Amoah is a 51-year-old man who has leprosy and is residing in the Ankaful leprosy camp with his three children.  He currently tidies a rehabilitation center's compound when it gets weedy. 

Alfred would like to be supported to start a charcoal business. Charcoal is the most commonly used fuel for cooking in all of the households in the community. 

Start-up Cost: $500. (USD)

Investor: Marjorie Pierre - $500.

Janet Nyarko is a 72-year-old woman who has leprosy and lives in the Ankaful leprosy camp. She is a widow with 7 children. Janet’s only source of livelihood is begging in the street. She currently has no other source of income. 

Janet wants to enroll in a soap making training program to equip herself with the necessary skills to be able to produce liquid and local bar soaps with her children, to sell in the local community.

Start-up Cost: $400. (USD)

Investor:  Anonymous  - $100.

Investor:  TC White Collins  - $200.

Investor: DoTERRA Helping Hands - $100.

Benie Kpobea is 76 years old and a mother of two children. She has leprosy, which has caused the loss of all of her fingers. Benie begs in the streets and at other public places for a living because she has no other source of income.

Benie would like to be supported to set up a shop for her oldest daughter, Sarah Dabremah, to sell soft drinks and water, in front of her house. With the proceeds from the shop, Benie’s daughter Sarah will be able to take very good care of Benie, and it will no longer be necessary for Benie to beg in the streets. 

Start-up Cost: $400. (USD)

Investor:  Anonymous  - $100.

Investor:  Katrina Mott  - $200.

Investor: Priscilla Ferebee - $100.

Bakouna Dagati is 76-years-old and a father of two children. He has leprosy and no source of income. He would like to be supported to connect and erect a standpipe in his compound, where he lives. 

People will pay Bakouna a small amount of money when they fetch water from the standpipe. A portion of the payments will be used to pay the water bill and maintain the pipe, and whatever is left will be Bakouna’s profit, which he can use to take care of himself and his family.

Start-up Cost: $400. (USD)

Investor: John Rogers - $400.

Nicholas Oduro is 45 years old and a father of 5 children. He is visually impaired and his mother, Ama Asabea has leprosy. He does not currently have a source of income. Nicolas would like to be supported to purchase a tricycle which will be used by his son to transport goods from people’s farms to the markets, for a fee. The money earned from the transportation of goods will be used to support Nicolas, his mother and his children.

Start-up Cost: $1400. (USD)

Investor: DoTERRA Helping Hands - $1400.

James Cudjoe is a talented artist who contracted buruli ulcer (a skin disease) after completing high school. He has been battling with the condition for many years. He moved to the Ankaful leprosy camp to Join his sister there, who is receiving treatment for leprosy. 

James is 46 years old with three children. His wife left him because of his condition. He would like to be supported to rent a shop at the Cape Coast Castle so that he can display his artwork for tourists to buy. In this way, James can earn an income to support his sister and children.

Start-up Cost: $600. (USD)

Investor: DoTERRA Helping Hands - $600.

Akua Ketewa is 66 years old and a mother of 4 children. She has leprosy which has caused the loss of all her fingers. Akua begs in the streets and at other public places for a living because she has no other source of income.

Akua would like to be supported to set up a small grocery shop for her oldest daughter, Adwoa Ataa, in front of her house. Akua’s daughter, Adwoa, will be able to take good care of Akua with the proceeds from the grocery shop.

Start-up Cost: $500. (USD)

Investors: Shanta & Nicholas Kingham - $500.

John Kwasi is 69 years old and a father of 9 children. He has leprosy and operates a table top soft drink stand out of his home. He needs support to expand his business and would like to purchase a greater variety of soft drinks, that are in high demand in the community. This will enable him make enough money to care for his family.

Start-up Cost: $100. (USD)

INVESTOR: VANESSA JIMENEZ -$100.

Georgina Atiaku is 21 years old and has one child. She lives in the Ankaful leprosy camp with her mother, Akusika, who has leprosy. Georgina is unable to take care of her mum because she is unemployed. She wants to be supported to start a mobile money merchant business in the community.

Start-up Cost: $500. (USD)

Investor: Angela Health - $500.

Ama Kaya is a 63-year-old woman living with leprosy in the Ankaful leprosy camp. She is a widow with 5 children. She would like to be supported to set up a soft drink shop in the community. Ama has been able build a kiosk with support that she received from donors. She now needs support to purchase the soft drinks and put them up for sale in her kiosk.

Start-up Cost: $600. (USD)

Investor: John Rogers - $600.

James Dadzie is a 58-year-old man who lives in the Ankaful leprosy camp. He is married and has 6 children. He is a cured leper who is currently seeking to find a way to support his family.

James wants to set up a grain milling shop in the community. He has been able to acquire the grain milling machine and some cement blocks.

He needs financial support to build the structure to accommodate the operation of the machine and to set up his shop. 

Start-up Cost: $1000. (USD)

INVESTORS: FRANK AND GENEVA RICE - $1000.

Adwoa Nyarkoah is a 57 year old widow who resides in Ankaful leprosy camp. She moved into the camp with her husband who had leprosy. When Adwoa lost her husband, she was left with their 4 children to take care of, on her own. 

For over 10 years, Adwoa has been engaging in the buying and selling of small food items (known as “petty trading” in Ghana) in the camp. This has been the only source of livelihood for Adwoa and her 4 children and it has not been sufficient. Adwoa would like to increase the amount and the variety of the goods that she sells, in order to generate more income.

Start-up Cost: $400. (USD)

Investor: DoTERRA Helping Hands - $400.

Lepers Aid Committee, a nonprofit NGO chaired by Rev. Fr. Andrew Campbell, has championed the plight of cured lepers in Ghana for more than three decades.

Rufa Focus Africa (RUFA) is a non-governmental, non-religious and a non-political organization dedicated to help the rural women, girls and youth in general, empowering them to become assets to their various communities in Ghana especially in rural areas.

Surrender 365, Inc. Board Member and Ghana Project Activity Coordinator.

Even “cured” lepers, those who have completed the multi-drug therapy which treats the disease, are still very ostracized in Ghanaian society.  There is a huge social stigma present which often leads to complete isolation from mainstream society and feelings of extreme loneliness and despair. People who have been diagnosed with leprosy are generally rejected and abandoned by their families and left to fend for themselves.

In addition, it is often extremely challenging for individuals affected by leprosy to find ways to earn a living.  Many turn to begging on the streets to survive.  The micro-loan projects will provide opportunities for individuals to generate their own income by purchasing items such as a sewing machine and fabric to sew clothes or bags like the ones shown below, which may also be sold on the Surrender 365 website in the future.

In addition to providing a source of income for the individuals in the leper colonies, micro-loan projects also provide each person with an opportunity to regain their sense of self-dignity and self-worth, and to build their self-esteem.  It is our hope that by participating in the micro-loan pilot project, individuals with leprosy will begin to feel like they are valued members of society, rather than outcasts.

The Surrender 365 Inc. Team is also very excited to be able to support the spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being of people living with leprosy.  We will be sharing the love of Christ by offering a Christian retreat for the residents and staff of Weija Leprosarium in Accra, Ghana while we are there.  We will also facilitate a “Story Circle” at the Leprosarium, a space where people can share their stories and be heard, and listened to, with love. 

In addition, we will be providing healing touch through massage and the use of aromatherapy oils. And lastly, we would like to assist the Lepers Aid Committee with the repair of 2 boreholes in the leper colonies located in Ho and Ankaful, Ghana. This will provide a clean and safe source of water for all of the people living in these two colonies.

We cannot do any of this without your support!  Please consider making a donation to support the livelihood, and the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of people with leprosy in Ghana!  Thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity!