About our Work
Dr. Soaries was enstooled as a chief by His Majesty the Okyenhene to mark the 10th anniversary of Dr. Soaries’ first visit to Ghana and in recognition of his support for development in the region. As Nkosuohene (chief of development), he continues to drive projects that directly address community needs and especially support the growth and development of children.
dfree® in the Workplace
The dfree® program was piloted in Ghana within an organization where workplace loans were common practice. Without a cap on borrowing power of employees, employers capitalized on this practice to leave most employees in wage deficit at the end of the pay cycle.
Under the leadership of Mark, several staff of the organization joined the club and set individual as well as communal goals to pay off debt using such strategies such as the snowball method taught in the program. This kicked off and spiraled into a campaign even without the participants’ access to workbooks.
More importantly, they formed a support group that motivated and encouraged one another by sharing success stories and personal approaches to self-discipline. In short, a lifestyle and mindset change around money and spending was born.
dfree® in the Church
Through a local church, the dfree® Club started an outreach to enroll the youth in the Billion Dollar challenge (BDC). This comprised mostly of college students and new graduates with entry level jobs and some student loans. In its first year alone, the first group recruited over 20 members who paid down about twenty-seven thousand cedis in debt (about $4,200) – a substantial about by Ghana standard.
The church-based dfree® activities also outreached to traders in local markets, mostly women who trade in fast moving consumable goods. Through monthly engagements at their places of business, the Club’s objective was to help them understand basic bookkeeping and encourage them to save in banking institutions in order to grow their business and improve their standards of living.
Partnerships
dfree® Club, Ghana has partnered with Gamma Alpha Sigma Zeta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (A.K.A. Ghana Zetas) to promote financial literary among specific groups of consumers. This mostly includes women and girls in shelters and halfway homes often rescued or escaping from abusive homes. They also work with fisherfolks and farmers in rural communities, and street hawkers in urban areas.
Working through the Agape Sanctuary of Victory Bible Church, the engagement of youth in the BDC and outreach to market traders have been extremely successful campaigns that can only group through other sanctuaries of the church.
Challenges
dfree® Club, Ghana has struggled with sustainability over the years. Funding for travel, access to resources like books and internet service are some of the factors affecting the few volunteers who have committed to driving the cause.
In this new phase, the emphasis on working through the church, hopefully, changes the narrative. Support in the form of books and funding to host events, educate market traders and reach more beneficiaries would be welcome.
Successes
dfree® Club, Ghana has chalked some successes. Over 100 individuals have successfully completed the program since inception. Apart from the debt paid down, group members have also saved over 60,000 cedis ($8,000) collectively in about 3 years through the Billion Dollar Challenge.
The Club continues to lead the charge of helping individuals pay down debt, save to create wealth, and learn to invest and grow their incomes for better standards of living.