ANNUAL REVIEW 2007

SHAPE LIVES FOUNDATION “translating vision into reality”

Working to save and shape lives

by supporting, promoting policies

and implementing developmental

projects related to poverty

reduction; empowerment of the

poor, handicapped and others

victimized by society to improve

the overall standard of living in

Ghana. Working on Behalf of Handicapped,

We provided bicycles to many

school children like Effie in the

picture that used to walk long

distances to school. In the village

of Nyariga, in the Upper East

Region of Ghana , we provided

bikes to over 50 school children.

Introducing Shape Lives Foundation……

Shape Lives Foundation works on behalf of the poor, handicapped

and others victimized by society to improve the overall standard

of living in Ghana.

Since its conception as an NGO in 2004 , it has help many less

privileged women and children in the Upper East and Volta

Regions of Ghana. Shape Lives Foundation works with local

groups and individuals towards the achievement of its aims

and objectives.

Our Mission is……………………

• Providing relief to the poor, handicapped and others

victimized by society especially women and children

• Equipping the rural youth with entrepreneurial skills to

become self-employed and self dependent

• Providing health information and support

• Providing guidance and counseling services to help people

translate their vision into reality

• Food security and farming activities

• Support for brilliant but needy children in schools

• Other developmental activities

This annual review was produced

to tell all our partners, friends and

people like you about our work

during the past year, how we raise

money and spend it, and how you

can help.

To find more information about

our work, please visit our

website at :

www.shapelives.kabissa.org

Phones us on

+233 20 8886650

Or write to us at:

P.O. Box SK 215 Tema

Ghana, West Africa Email: foundation@shapelives.org

MANAGEMENT BOARD’S REPORT

This has been an exceptional 3rd

anniversary for Shape Lives Foundation and I write on behalf of the Management

Board with great pride about our achievements. We are meeting our ambitions, changing lives, whilst at the same time

planning strategically for the coming years. The development of people in the rural areas of Ghana is very important

and this requires the role of all civic groups and societies to accelerate this process.

Research has shown that 93% of Ghanaians are living in poverty. The worst affected parts are the Northern and the

Upper regions where 90 % of the people are living in absolute poverty. The provision of sustainable jobs ( especially to

women and youth) and educational infrastructure , as well as supporting marginalized and disadvantaged children is

perhaps the most sustainable way to produce development and elimination of poverty. It is therefore gratifying to note

that, the Shape Lives Foundation is making a great impact in these regions, - making people break away from the

bondage of poverty.

Presently, our development programmes and activities are complementing the development efforts and plans of the

District Assemblies and the District Education Service in our operational area and this has resulted in closer

collaboration between us all.

As we celebrate our 3rd

anniversary and Shape Lives Foundation achievements, our plans envisage the need of

accelerating speedily on our projects to enable us fully break the bondage of poverty that is binding our people.

We collectively hope that individuals and groups who share our vision and objectives after reading this report will seek

collaboration and networking with us for the single goal of bettering lives and making someone break from poverty.

I may end by thanking all individuals and organizations that have contributed so much especially our officers ,

volunteers advisers , donors and all well wishers. Without you, we can’t make our organization and project reality.

God bless you all!! Long live Shape Lives Foundation!!!

BENJAMIN D. Otiah - Chairman of Board.

ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMMES

Our current programmes activities are geared towards sustainable jobs creation for women and youth, schools vegetable gardening,

Educational infrusture development, computer training to basic schools and youth and children sponsorship to schools and employable

skills. The following projects were carried out within the year of review:

I. Economic Empowerment to Rural Women and Youth

(Blessing Basket Weaving) In the Upper East region, basketry is the only economic back born of the

people but is very sad to note that all basket weavers are the neediest and

very poor because they lack good market for their products. Only those so

called “businessmen”, thus middlemen, make money by paying the

weavers very low wages because they know they need the money to buy

their basic needs and no alternatives. They then send these baskets to

Europe and other places to sell keeping all the profits for themselves

without considering the plight of neither the weavers nor the communities

these baskets come from.

The Shape Lives Foundation brought hope to the weavers in the region by

paying prosperity wages to the weavers for weaving baskets and then

sends the baskets to America to sell. We ensure that every basket is signed

by the weavers; we attach pictures of the weavers to the baskets and share

with customers about their plight. They then feel like they know the

weavers too – and when a face is connected to a name it makes the

purchase of the basket very personal. The Shape Lives foundation takes

no money from the sales of baskets for the organization nor for the

workers, instead do we find other sources of funding to pay the many

expenses we have associated with running the project. The proceeds are

brought back to the communities to implements a development project

chosen by the people. In Nyariga, such funds a being used in support of

building a girl’s school.

A picture of women weaving blessing basket

About 800 basket weavers benefited and are still benefiting and include women and youth. Many young people that left the villages to

cities looking for non existing jobs returned to unite with their families to benefit from this laudable project. As a result, orphaned children

that never dreamt of education enrolled to school, poor widows and families that can’t even afford a meal a day were relieved from their

worries because they have expanded their farms and now have abundant harvest to carter for themselves.

The news of this project spread wide to the entire region like wide fire and the local radio stations talked much about it realizing the

impact of the project , thus helping to reduce hunger in the region, for it is the first of its kind in the region .

A woman receiving prosperity wage for

weaving blessing basket.

Women dancing happily after receiving prosperity wages

II. The House of Children Home This Orphanage is located at Volta Region in a village called Attabu, about 2 kilometers north of Hohoe, the district capital. It

is currently housing 21 orphans with a very kind hearted woman as their mother. This orphanage was discovered by Mr.

Alexander Kedje on his way to Hohoe. He fell in love with one of the orphans that bear is birthday name, Kwame and by his

recommendation, the home was adopted for a year round support by Shape Lives Foundation. We supported the orphanage with

food items and money for medical care for the orphans.

Mr. Alexander with orphans at the children home

III. Bicycle s for All Ages Bicycle for All- Ages (BAA) is one of the projects Shape Lives Foundation implemented in 2007. This project is still ongoing. The

mission of the project is to provide a reliable alternative source of transportation for people living in rural areas of Ghana by providing

bicycles at affordable prices. The project is designed to provide bicycles at low prices to students, workers, farmers and all those

who use bicycles in one way or the other. In 2007, this project has provided to over 1000 persons with second-hand good quality

bikes and affordable bikes including famers , market women and school children in Volta and Upper East regions.

School children riding to school

Salam and his friends happily riding to

school

Bike beneficiary -Joe

Shape Lives Project officer, Mr Adulai donating bikes

to Nyariga community at Bolgatanga

IV. Volta School for the Deaf:

The Volta School for the Deaf is the only special disability school in the Hohoe district of Ghana in the

Volta region. The Shape Lives Foundation supported some children in this school with school sandals.

The state of the children prior to the presentation

of the school sandals

Children happily in their sandals

The Assistant Headmistress (Miss Diddy Ntim)

presenting school sandals to the children on

behalf of Shape Lives Foundation

Thank you Letters

Some of the children wrote in their own words thanks you letters to one of one partner

organization- Hope For Children:

Please see below few scanned copies.

Some of the beneficiaries with uniforms and

bikes at Bume/ VR

Children were presented with teddies

at Santrokofi – Bume School

Alexander distributing pencils and pens

to school to school children

School Children were presented with

pens and pencils

A pupil receiving her school uniform

Other Projects Pictures

To God be all the Glory!

We use this privilege to thank God Almighty for preserving the life of our Project Manager, Mr. Alexander Kedje and his friend Jeffery

from a fatal accident that happened when they where returning from Bolgatanga to Accra. Mr. Alexander and his friend went to

pay prosperity wages to Nyariga weavers and visited some other projects in the Bolgatanga district. The devil became mad for

their good works and decided to terminate their lives on Accra Kumasi road but he did not succeed. We are very grateful to

God and many thanks to all those who were in prayers with us during their hospitalization . The Devil is a liar! Shape Lives

Foundation will continue with its good works.

See the accident car pictures below:

ACCOUNTS FOR YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER2007

INCOMING RESOURCES GHC Uncommitted Reserves from 2006 22,351,000 Contribution from members and volunteers 7,780,000 Grants received 603,000,000 Fundraising proceeds 9,203,000 Donations 9,030,000 Total Income 651,364,000 EXPENDED RESOURCES Administrative Expenses 1 32,520,000 Economic Empowerment Projects 2 491,170,000 Educational Projects 3 106,310,000 Total Expenditure 630,000,000 Uncommitted Reserves 21,364,000 Note: This financial information is an extract from our annual accounts. For a fuller understanding you should obtain the annual report accounts for the year, which are available by email foundation@shapelives.org or by post.

Place your order for beautiful bolga baskets online http://shapelives.kabissa.org

These products are made in Ghana and available for sale to organizations and individuals. By buying any one of these products, you are

providing a day's meal to someone. By ordering more of the products, you are providing employment for many less privileged women and

youth in Ghana. If you are interested in any of the products, please contact us. God bless you for your support.

© Copyright 2007. Shape Lives Foundation. All rights reserved.