Gentle Souls Foundation

The Gentle Souls Foundation is an association founded by teacher Evelyn Opoku Afriyie in our partner community of Atwima during the coronavirus pandemic to prevent girls and young women from falling into a downward spiral of unemployment, unwanted pregnancy and poverty as a result of the pandemic. Evelyn’s intention is to ‘empower young women to look at life positively, no matter what obstacles they face, to believe in themselves and to work hard on themselves’. From her own experience, she knows that life gives you nothing for free and that it is up to you to change your destiny.

Over 60 young women and girls meet regularly and, during a three-year training programme, learn to sew clothes, make soap and detergent, create designer jewellery, style hair and do manicures. The graduates can then earn money with their own small businesses or find employment. But it is not only economic independence that is important to Evelyn Opoku Afriyie. The young women are also educated on health topics such as contraception, hygiene, and sex education. Her motto is: ‘First education and business, then men.’

In line with its motto, ‘Build a better world for women and girls,’ the Zonta Club Murnau Staffelsee has been supporting the Gentle Souls Foundation since 2023 to bring about lasting change in the lives of young women, both now and in the future. A collaboration between the Zonta Club Murnau Staffelsee, the Zonta Club Fünfseenland and our German Ghanaian Friendship Association enabled a donation of €2,000, which was used in 2023 to expand the Gentle Souls Foundation’s training facilities. Now the facilities are set to move to a piece of land that is to be purchased. Anyone who would like to support the project financially can donate to our association with the reference ‘Gentle Souls Foundation – Women Empowerment’ to the donation account: IBAN DE48 7039 0000 0003 2583 00. We are recognised as a non-profit association by the Munich I tax office and will gladly issue a donation receipt for your contribution.