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"Where the creativity of human mind, spirit and experience is celebrated everyday."
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Stories from the global community
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Day 45: Flying Back to Ghana to Meet The Mamas
 
Destination:   Cape Coast, Ghana
     Cape Coast is a city, fishing port, and capital of south Ghana. The city of over 170,000 people is situated in on the Gulf of Guinea.
 
   Cape Coast is mostly hot and oppressive year round. Over the course of the year the temperature is rarely below 73°F or above 93°F, with humidity between 85% and 99%. Fortunately, the sea breeze has a moderating effect on the local climate.
Map CapeCoastGhana
Fun Facts:   
    Cape Coast is one of Africa's most culturally significant spots. This former European colonial capital was originally named Cabo Corso by the Portuguese. The older traditional names of the city are Oguaa and Kotokuraba (meaning "River of Crabs" or "Village of Crabs").

Also: Cape Coast is home to the varied and little known stingless bees. Visitors can sample the delicious honey and pollen at the International Stingless Bee Research Center.

Art Form: Hand-batiked Clothing
    Colorful, comfortable and fashionable. From Global Mamas, these children's and women's summer fashions are batik-dyed and handmade using traditional methods by women in Ghana on 100% cotton.
 
GMA GirlsTwirlDress

   Batik (pronounced ba-teek) is an ancient handmade fabric art that originated in Asia. During the batik process, hot wax is painted or stamped onto fabric, which is then dyed.

GMA Batik Stamp

   After one or more dyeings, the batik wax is removed revealing differently colored patterns and designs. Cracks in the wax give patterns the "crackled" look unique to batik. 

   Watch this excellent video about the making the Verona dress from start to finish. . .
Global Mamas Ethical Fashion: Handcrafting a Dress, Start to Finish
Global Mamas Ethical Fashion: Handcrafting a Dress, Start to Finish

    Traditional handmade batiking skills are passed down from mother to daughter, teacher to apprentice.

The Company: Global Mamas
    Global Mamas was founded in 2003 by six Ghanaian women who were passionate about using their talents as batikers and seamstresses to earn a steady income to support their families. They were supported by two women from North America who were passionate about seeing Ghanaian women grow their businesses. 
GMA Founding Mamas

   Under the original name of "Women in Progress", the six batikers and seamstresses in the Cape Coast area came together using the name Global Mamas to produce and export textile products under a common brand. Today the Global Mamas community is comprised of over 100 independent, women-owned businesses. Global Mamas partners with batikers and seamstresses who work from their own shops or from their homes.

GMA The Mamas Community


Artists: Meet Three of the Mamas
Elizabeth Ampiah, Co-Founder "To me, prosperity is having your family and being able to take them to school and having a place for them to live. Prosperity is based in the family."
GMA Elizabeth Ampiah
   One of the founding Mamas, Elizabeth has been batiking since 1995. After attending batik school with fellow Mama Emma, she created designs that she entered into a trade show. When she was picked as one of the six finalists in the show, Elizabeth knew she had found her calling. She opened up a shop with Emma, but when batiking became a highly competitive industry in Ghana, the store struggled as larger customers delayed their payment for months. All of this changed when Emma and Elizabeth became founding members of Global Mamas, setting an example of hard work and smart business for all future Mamas. 

Esther Gyepi-Garbrah, Co-Founder  Esther started working as a seamstress in her bedroom, using a borrowed manual sewing machine. After dealing with customers who delayed
GMA Esther Gyepi-Garbrah
payment and export partners who cheated her, Esther is grateful for the reliable business that comes from working with Global Mamas. With her perseverance and dependable work ethic, Esther has taught many apprentices over the years. "Through Global Mamas, I have been able to achieve my dream of helping people." She says, "Before Global Mamas, my income was limited, and I could not afford to help others."

Mavis Thompson, Batiker  Mavis Thompson's story is one of renewed hope. She started batiking in 1989 and soon after opened her own shop called "Press on Towards the Goal."
GMA Mavis Thompson
After experiencing initial success, Mavis was forced to close her shop when a shrinking customer base made it impossible for her to afford the expensive batiking supplies she needed. Mavis was selling lace and curtains by the side of the road when she found Global Mamas, and since then Global Mamas has provided Mavis with a steady income and the means to buy daily food. Mavis is pleased with this change in her situation. 

   As a non-profit organization,   Global Mamas  aims to address gender inequality and transform the lives of women entrepreneurs in Ghana by helping them grow their businesses.  Each month, Global Mamas is committed to providing orders to the Mamas ensuring each one is fairly and punctually paid. 

   The Mamas are able to realize their dreams of having the opportunity to support their families, send their children to school, improve their health and save for the future.  The Mamas define prosperity as going beyond financial well-being to include happiness and good health. 
 
GMA Mamas in Hats

   With a commitment to making the organization sustainable, Global Mamas offers hands-on training in advanced technical skills, quality improvement, and creative design. Professional development in leadership, financial management, marketing and merchandising help the Mamas effectively manage their growing businesses and personal finances. Workshops in health and wellness promote physical well-being. To that end, Global Mamas has coordinated over 400 volunteers have traveled to Ghana since 2003 to help teach these needed skills.
 
GMA Volunteering

   Global Mamas also has an office in the Northeast Arts District of Minneapolis. From there they work on new designs and coordinate with retail partners around the globe.
 
   Global Mamas is proud to be a full member of the World Fair Trade Organization, committed to higher standards that provide a living wage, safe work atmosphere and environmental protection.

LOVE your product. KNOW your producer. CHANGE her life.
Shopping . . .
Are you ready to explore 
what we have in our store?   
GMA BatikClothing comp

Click the picture above or the link below to explore 
our current selection of Global Mamas clothing.  The children's clothing made by the Mamas is just adorable. Our adult dresses are all marked 25% off on a special sale announced first here in our newsletter.

Don't forget to stamp your Passport!
Stamp CapeCoastGhana Day45

Click on the "stamp" to add to your "passport."
We keep track of your stamps for you!

"Collect" at least 12 different "country" stamps during the third 20 days of our around-the-world trip to  be entered  into the drawing for a $25 gift card.  At the end of our 80-day  Around the World  excursion, all eligible travelers (minimum of 48 country stamps)  will be  entered into a drawing for . . .

a Grand Prize  $100 shopping spree gift card! 
 
Thanks for traveling with us today.
Where to next? Stay tuned!
 

   We are delighted to share this inspiring story today. We love that the entire structure of the organization is based on women helping women and empowering their lives.  They are a remarkable example of how positive change can happen locally and globally.
 
   Our Brookside store is open today and will be open through Sunday. Our current hours are posted below my signature and we look forward to seeing you!
  
   For those of you who cannot or choose not to shop in our Brookside store right now, we thank you for your continued online shopping support. And, yes, we plan to continue our global "journeys" with daily additions to our online store. 
 
   And I can't say it enough times -  YOU are an important part of what makes World's Window so special! THANK YOU!
 
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World's Window
"Nobody can define you like you."

P.S.     We are glad to be on this around-the-world virtual journey with you and delighted that you are traveling with us. We hope you are learning some new information as we travel along.  If you haven't already done so, invite some friends to come along! There's still room on this journey!  Send an invite

P.P.S.     We're keeping our trip "log" up to date. If you think you've missed a day or are new to our journey, click  here  to review where we've visited the last 44 days. 

For our Brookside Store:

CLOSED Monday and Tuesday 
OPEN Wed through Sat, 11 am to 5 pm
Sunday, 12 noon to 5 pm

SHOP our on-line store:
  www.worldswindowkc.store

As always we are "sharing the world" through clothing, jewelry, folk art, textiles and hand-selected gifts - 
and
buying locally-owned is a gift to your community!
 
One way to support us  right now 
is to purchase 
World's Window gift cards.

        Online Gift Cards
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        In-Store Gift Cards                                     
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In-store gift cards can also be purchased by calling 
us at 816-361-2500.
   
And, with all gift card purchases 
we'll ADD 10% more
 to the value of your gift card as a "Thank You" for shopping small and local. 


THANK YOU!! Bon Voyage!
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