Equal Chance Annual Report - 2006-2007

About Us

Equal Chance is a Non-Governmental Organization that offers educational and skills training opportunities to disadvantaged youth in the Songornya area of Ada in Southeast Ghana. Equal Chance recognizes that by empowering and enabling these youth to continue their education or to receive skills training, we are breaking the cycle of systemic poverty for these young people and their families. These youth are given a chance to sustainably develop their minds and talents enriching themselves, their families and their communities.

All people deserve an equal chance, and we are working to provide this where it is most needed.

Equal Chance is currently sponsoring five extraordinary members of an HIV-focused Youth Theater Group in Songornya.

- See Video -

Our Organization

Equal Chance is composed of the Board of Directors in Songornya, Community Member Stakeholders, and American Partners. The Executive Board Members are all members of the Songornya communities and are highly experienced in the areas of Education, Non-Formal Adult Education, Counseling, Participatory Community Development, Advocating for Workers' Rights and Womens' Rights, and HIV/AIDS Education and Counseling. The Board Members represent the various groups within Songornya including Women, Farmers, Salt-Miners, Elders, Youth, Educated and Uneducated People. This allows Equal Chance to be a truly effective grassroots democratic organization.

The Community Member Stakeholders are individuals within the communities that voluntarily choose to be involved in the democratic decision-making of Equal Chance. The input and concern of these individuals influences the organization's structural and programmatic response to the community needs within the focus areas of youth education, skills training, and empowerment.

The American Partners are the individuals and organizations in the United States that stand in Solidarity with the People of Songornya, recognize and empathize with the needs of disadvantaged individuals and families living in poverty, and support Equal Chance Programs with fundraising.

Our History

Equal Chance began as a Secondary School Scholarship Charity for five of the most talented and most disadvantaged members of the Songornya United Youth Club. The founders of this charity recognized that these young people need our support, but so do other young people of poor families. The founders realized that this charity program could be expanded to assist more young people in the areas of Educational and Skills Training Assistance as well as assistance to Young Girls vulnerable to sexual exploitation. The founders then proposed this expansion to various community leaders who accepted it and joined the founders in developing the vision and the reality of Equal Chance. These people became the first Equal Chance Board Members. Equal Chance was officially registered as a Non-Governmental Organization with the Ghanaian government on 20th October 2005.

Future Development

Equal Chance will continue to expand its current programs and will develop new programs to respond to other urgent community issues such as HIV/AIDS and Womens' Economic Development. Equal Chance hopes to raise enough funds and support in the coming years to help us to make these plans a reality.

Also, one of our short-term goals is to register Equal Chance as a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Charitable Organization in the USA. This will enable us to directly receive donations. (We are currently receiving donations through the Memorial Presbyterian Church of Fox Chase.)