The Young Women's Fellowship for Change
After 15 years in operation, Create Change Foundation is excited to launch its newest initiative: The Young Women's Fellowship for Change.
From the 4.3 million people that live in Ghana’s north, we plan to recruit five incredible young women to to lead change for over 1,000 children, girls and young women living in poverty.
The fellowship will provide five young aspiring female leaders with the opportunity to get the mentorship, training, and opportunity to become confident and skilled leaders.
At the end of their fellowship, fellows will be supported to pursue a Masters degree to bolster their leadership.
If you are considering donating $1,000+ consider sending a cheque to save us additional fees for online donations.
Why are we launching this Fellowship?
The fellowship has been created in order to find Ghana's most promising young women who are committed to changing the face of extreme poverty in their communities, and to give them a chance to step into their careers as development experts. Working for aid agencies can often be seen as a reliable and profitable industry to get into, so frequently people in Ghana who are leading change in development organizations are those drawn to the financial opportunities and benefits, and more often than not are men who come from privileged backgrounds.
Instead, we want to see more young women who have struggled through extreme poverty themselves to have the opportunity to get into serious development roles so they can influence the development sector in a meaningful way. We often struggle to find young women employees, due to both a lack of confidence and discrimination they face in trying to move up the career ladder due to both their gender and age.
Cheques can be sent to Create Change Foundation, PO Box 98984, 1622 Salt St., Vancouver BC., V5Y 0J9
How will fellows be selected?
We plan to do a wide search across Ghana's three northern regions, using social media, youth and women's organizations to get the word out to attract young women who are both passionate and ambitious when it comes to creating change in their community. To be eligible, fellowship candidates must have a university degree in a related field and can demonstrate great commitment and dedication to bringing about sustainable change to children, young women, and rural communities.
What will be involved in the fellowship?
The fellowship program is a comprehensive initiative aimed at providing training, mentorship, and leadership experience to young women who face the challenges of poverty. Through a carefully crafted curriculum, we will equip them with the skills and knowledge necessary to emerge as leaders in their communities. The program covers areas such as leadership development, project management, community engagement, and advocacy. The 5 fellows selected will receive a stipend to support them through their fellowship where they will receive:
1- Coaching and Mentorship: Fellows will receive coaching and mentorship so they gain the confidence they need to lead, and start to develop a mindset and outlook so they begin to believe in their potential as leaders.
2- Training in Program Management: Fellows will learn how to identify a change they want to create, design a program to tackle the issue and provide a solution, and then implement that program, and evaluate it's impact.
3- Leadership Experience: As there is no better way to become a leader than to lead something, fellows will gain leadership experience by leading the program they have designed, so they have tangible experience to bring forward into their future as a leader in the development sector.
4- Masters Degree Scholarship: Upon completion of their two year fellowship, fellows will be provided with a scholarship to attend a masters degree in a relevant field, and will be able to bring relevant experience to their degree that they have gained through their fellowship experience.
Why are we funding masters degrees?
While we have a history of supporting children and young women through basic education, high school and undergraduate degrees, the goal of the fellowship is to recruit young women who are ready and able to benefit from serious leadership and practical training. As we want the programs that our fellows will lead to be as impactful as possible for children and young women, we want to recruit young women who have already demonstrated passion for change.
How will the proposed budget be spent?
We are seeking to raise $40,000 which will cover the fellowship costs including:
Item | Cost in CAD | Details | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Recruiting Costs | $1,000 | Advertising and interviews | $1,000 |
Fellow Stipend | $2,400 | 5 fellows | $12,000 |
Training Costs | $12,000 | Various trainers | $12,000 |
Training Materials | $6,000 | To facilitate learning | $6,000 |
Masters Degree Scholarship | $1,800 | 5 fellows | $9,000 |
GRAND TOTAL | $40,000 |
What impact are we hoping for?
We have numerous impacts we are hoping to achieve through this fellowship program.
1- Empowering young women: through our fellowship program, we hope to empower 5 young women who have come from extreme poverty, to become confident and experienced leaders who are passionate about sustainable change for people living in poverty.
2- Supporting 1,000 children living in poverty: through the programs designed and implemented by the selected fellows, we plan to impact over 1,000 children who are living in extreme poverty in the areas of education, gender equality, and child rights.
3- Creating strong female leaders: the long term impact of the fellowship cannot be measured, as our selected fellows go on in their careers to lead change in the education and development sectors, becoming valuable influences and strong advocates for the rights of children, women and those living in extreme poverty.
If you are considering donating $1,000+ consider sending a cheque to save us additional fees for online donations.
Cheques can be sent to Create Change Foundation, PO Box 98984, 1622 Salt St., Vancouver BC., V5Y 0J9