Empowering Women in Northern Ghana
Ghana
In the heart of Northern Ghana, a group of women from eight neighbouring communities gathered for a Women of Impact training that would begin a journey of transformation in their lives. The purpose of this training was clear: to equip, empower, and challenge these women to discover their identities in Christ and become vibrant followers of Jesus, who in turn multiply disciples in their communities.
Breaking Barriers in Marginalized Communities
The women came from rural communities that face many economic challenges, and where traditional worship and Islam are dominant. In these communities, women are marginalization and are often silenced or demotivated by cultural norms. Even among the Christians in their communities, there are strange doctrines about women. Despite these obstacles, many of the women walked several miles to attend the training each day, showing their passion to learn.
The trainers did their best to address these cultural realities, creating an environment where the women could feel valued. One participant shared her experience of being mocked by others in her community when singing praises to God. However, through the training, she and others realized their true worth in Christ, breaking free from cultural chains that were previously holding them back.
Experiencing God’s Transformative Power
The tangible presence of God was evident throughout the training. Women experienced both physical and emotional healing. One amazing testimony involved a woman who had been ill for some time. During a prayer session, she was miraculously healed and boldly testified about the transformation in her body. This and other moments of healing left an impact, building faith and hope among the other women.
The women also embraced their newfound understanding of being part of the Great Commission. No longer seeing themselves as sidelined, they have been empowered to actively participate in disciple-making efforts within their communities.
Ongoing Impact and Follow-Up
To ensure the training's impact continues to multiply, follow-up has already begun with the help of the local chief who was also the one to identify the right women to attend this training. The two Ghanaian trainers will also connect with participants and group leaders via phone calls to encourage them in their faith and disciple-making practices. A follow up training will be planned again within the future. The women were also inspired to look at what they already have in their hands in order to sustain themselves & their ministry efforts. As they already are growing groundnuts, they are now forming a simple coop together with the initiative of purchasing one grinder to collectively process the groundnuts into peanut butter.
Motivated by Love and the Great Commission
For the Women of Impact trainers, the journey to get to this training involved travelling long distances on multiple modes of transport, yet their motivation to make others’ lives count for Jesus far outweighed the difficulties along the way.
This story of transformation in Northern Ghana serves as an encouragement to women everywhere who feel called to reach others in difficult places and situations. As Sarah, a Women of Impact leader and trainer shared, “Do all you can to give your time and training to any woman, for the impact and the outcome will be greater than you think.”
This is a testament to what can happen when marginalized women discover their identity in Christ. From breaking cultural barriers to experiencing miraculous healing and newfound hope, these women are now equipped to transform their communities for God’s glory.