Three selected for 2015 Vlisco Women's programme
Three women have been selected to take part in this year’s Vlisco Group Women's Month programme.
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The Vlisco Women’s Month campaign, which is launched annually to coincide with the International Women’s Day celebration on March 8, seeks to honour the outstanding achievements of women in West and Central Africa, by identifying and rewarding those who inspire others to realise their dreams and empower women and girls across Africa to live and follow their dreams.
The nominees for Vlisco Women’s Month 2015 in Ghana, which is on the theme: "Live the dream”, are Mrs Valerie Labi-Okudzeto, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Clean Team Ghana, Ms Elizabeth Akua-Nyarko Patterson, an educationist, and Mrs Kokui Selormey, a television presenter.
Outline
The Vlisco Women’s Month nominees will embark on several activities in Ghana to empower women in the areas of business, education and health. At these events, they will share their success stories to encourage other women to face their own challenges and realise their dreams.
The nominee with the highest public votes will be declared the Vlisco Brand Ambassador for 2015 and will be revealed during the Vlisco Women’s Month Award Night on April 11, 2015.
Celebrating women achievers
At the launch of the campaign, the Marketing Director of Vlisco Ghana, Rev. Stephen Kofi Badu, said the vision for the campaign was to become a global event that celebrates African women achievers.
He said this year, there would be one winner in every country where the Vlisco Women’s Month campaign run, namely Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Ghana, explaining that this was because Vlisco wanted to encourage fashion talents in all of its core markets.
He announced that another aspect of the campaign was the Vlisco Fashion Fund, which supported upcoming fashion designers and tailors in West and Central Africa to live their dream and encourage novice fashion designers and tailors to present their business plans before March 15 to stand the chance of winning master couture classes, a start-up fashion business package and funding.
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Profile of nominees:
Valerie Labi-Okudzeto
From an early age, Valerie Labi-Okudzeto was always actively seeking opportunities that would allow her to be innovative and create positive change. Today, she is the CEO of Clean Team Ghana, dedicated to improving sanitation services in Ghana. Her aim is to revolutionise methods for waste disposal in households and work towards the commercialisation of municipal waste.
Valerie told the Daily Graphic that should she emerge the winner, she would reach out to more women, especially those working in industries and expressed the hope to protect a clean and healthy society.
Elizabeth Akua-Nyarko Patterson
Elizabeth Akua-Nyarko Patterson is the founder and Executive Director of the Girls Education Initiative of Ghana, a foundation that provides academic and financial support for girls, including applicants with special needs.
Her personal experience of acquiring a physical disability after a traumatic brain injury, combined with academic research into this area, compelled her to start the foundation and she ensures that at least 10 per cent of students admitted had a special need.
"If you think that a girl is marginalised or second-class in Ghana, imagine being a girl who has a disability or a special need. It means you are almost non-existing. I hope with the support of Vlisco, we can bring to the forefront the issue of special education," she said
Kokui Selormey
Kokui Selormey is the award-winning co-host of a leading
TV breakfast show and a classical singer. Her vocal talent has taken her to concert venues across the United States and Ghana with a repertoire ranging from classical music to traditional melodies. She uses her talent to help raise funds for charitable causes and is an advisor to a non-governmental organisation that supports the survival of children in Ghana.
Kokui told the Daily Graphic she hoped to inspire young women to learn to accept the way God created them because "no matter what people say about you, being you is more than enough."
The face of this year’s campaign is award-winning Congolese singer and songwriter Barbara Kanam, who had the conviction to turn her passion for music into a career as one of Africa’s most popular singers, even though her parents had other plans for her.
The 2014 Vlisco Woman is Mrs Eugenia Mawuena Adjoa Techie Menson, a social entrepreneur with love for the welfare of children.