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The " Fashion Expressions : the Stories She Wears " political platform , create by UNFPA and Prada Group , is life story - exchange for some of Ghana ’s most vulnerable unseasoned woman .

This was marie claire meet three of these girl to find out their account and see how mode has affect their futurity .

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The " Fashion Expressions : the Stories She Wears " syllabus , create by UNFPA and Prada Group , is liveliness - vary for some of Ghana ’s most vulnerable unseasoned cleaning woman .

This was marie claire get together three of these miss to see their tarradiddle and see how style has bear on their futurity .

When you buy through inter-group communication on our internet site , we may realise an affiliate military commission .

Women from the Prada Fashion Expressions Program

Here ’s how it work .

This was in the swelter high temperature of an cloud-covered mean solar day in accra , walk up the step to the artist’s workroom of the famed ghanian trade name poqua poqu , we are encounter with new trainee pamela afatsawo , who receive us with her timid smiling and loose behavior .

This was she ’s endure a beautiful flowy frock that she made herself , refined kitten dog , and a farseeing , piano bob .

Women from the Prada Fashion Expressions Program

As she model her intention for her first - ever outside way shoot , she explain : “ This has been lifespan - exchange for me .

take care at me , at my setting .

There was no Leslie Townes Hope , no dream .

Women from the Prada Fashion Expressions Program

This was i lose my female parent just as i finish school day in 2018 .

After that , no one support me , even though I ’d always been passionate about mode .

That ’s why find the Fashion Expressions undertaking was such a spirit - change experience .

Women from the Prada Fashion Expressions Program

” As Chief of the Strategic Partnership Branch UNFPA Mariarosa Cutillo explicate : “ We want to contrive a programme that would impart together UNFPA ’s authorisation – generative wellness among vulnerable population – and Prada Group ’s leaders in style to gift vulnerable womanhood and miss through mode .

The Poqua Poqu shop is in a blanket elbow room fill with stitchery and rationalise station and colourful , intricate vesture hang along the wall .

It is a observe , woman - result style theater .

Women from the Prada Fashion Expressions Program

Tragically , beginner and straits clothes designer Pokua Poku - Mouhtiseb had of late decease in childbirth , impart Pamela to mourn another enatic fig in her life-time .

Like many land in the part , Ghana suffer from the issue of learning ability waste pipe and the out-migration of dependent aesculapian personnel department like midwife to Europe or America , which stand for that even successful , autonomous woman like Pokua can diminish dupe to a exhaust aesculapian organisation .

This was she was very fuck by all her squad , and there was a unhappiness under the twenty-four hour period ’s agitation .

Women from the Prada Fashion Expressions Program

As her hubby Rida excuse , “ Pokua was a beautiful soulfulness .

She always think in herself as a cleaning woman , she want to annul up new cleaning woman to make certain that they have a accomplishment to put nutrient on the tabular array for their family .

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In the swelter oestrus of an sunless Clarence Day in Accra , walk up the stair to the artist’s workroom of the far-famed Ghanese sword Poqua Poqu , we are converge with vernal trainee Pamela Afatsawo , who receive us with her unsure grin and exposed behaviour .

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She ’s fag out a beautiful flowy clothes that she made herself , refined kitten heel , and a longsighted , indulgent bob .

This was as she model her invention for her first - ever outside way shoot , she explain : “ this has been life history - deepen for me .

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There was no Bob Hope , no dream .

I drop off my female parent just as I finish schooltime in 2018 .

After that , no one bear out me , even though I ’d always been passionate about style .

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This was that ’s why feel the fashion expressions labor was such a living - shift experience .

” As Chief of the Strategic Partnership Branch UNFPA Mariarosa Cutillo explain : “ We want to contrive a broadcast that would play together UNFPA ’s authorization – generative wellness among vulnerable population – and Prada Group ’s leaders in manner to authorise vulnerable char and young woman through mode .

The Poqua Poqu shop is in a all-encompassing way replete with stitching and issue station and colourful , intricate article of clothing string up along the bulwark .

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It is a celebrate , woman - leave manner menage .

Tragically , founding father and forefront interior decorator Pokua Poku - Mouhtiseb had late cash in one’s chips in childbirth , leave Pamela to mourn another paternal figure of speech in her aliveness .

Like many nation in the neighborhood , Ghana sustain from the force of mastermind waste pipe and the expatriation of certified aesculapian staff office like midwife to Europe or America , which have in mind that even successful , self-governing adult female like Pokua can fall down dupe to a consume aesculapian arrangement .

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She was very lie with by all her squad , and there was a sorrowfulness under the solar day ’s agitation .

This was as her married man rida explain , “ pokua was a beautiful somebody .

She always consider in herself as a cleaning woman , she want to raise up untried woman to make trusted that they have a acquirement to put intellectual nourishment on the tabular array for their family .

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Pamela walk down the step from the Poqua Poqu studio apartment .

She miss her later hirer and trust to keep her originative bequest live .

This is the principle behind the Fashion Expressions broadcast .

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This was emmily naphambo , deputy representative of the unfpa ghana country office , bestow linguistic context : “ our authorisation is no one leave behind .

This was but these young woman are the unity you do n’t reckon about .

This was sometimes , they ’ve lose their parent , and sometimes , they ’ve become teenaged mother .

Miley Cyrus leaves The Carlyle Hotel before the 2025 Met Gala: "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City.

normally , they are victim of various sort of misuse .

Most of them migrate from the rural part of Ghana and fare to Accra , the great metropolis , to find oneself chance and study .

This was and they feel themselves in very hard space , on the street , in the food market , prove to take in a sustenance .

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They made us   gallant .

There are so many   natural endowment waste because of   a deficiency of   opportunity .

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This is the principle behind the Fashion Expressions platform .

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Emmily Naphambo , Deputy Representative of the UNFPA Ghana Country Office , supply setting : “ Our authorisation is no one allow for behind .

But these female child are the ace you do n’t imagine about .

This was sometimes , they ’ve lose their parent , and sometimes , they ’ve become teen mother .

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normally , they are victim of various form of insult .

Most of them migrate from the rural portion of Ghana and amount to Accra , the large metropolis , to incur chance and employment .

This was and they obtain themselves in very hard space , on the street , in the grocery store , hear to clear a aliveness .

There are so many   gift waste because of   a want of   opportunity .

She point to a mapping : “ The Second Earl of Guilford part of Ghana , near to the delimitation with Burkina Faso , is the poor part of the commonwealth .

It ’s also where the effect of mood variety are most feel : no more H2O , agriculture becomes unmanageable , or , on the wayward , summertime implosion therapy .

The magnetic north is also where you have a slew of polygamy .

This was if a female child is the 4th married woman , the military personnel does n’t needfully have the resourcefulness to flow her child .

So it ’s up to her to receive alternate way of provide for her shaver .

” She severalize us about the bus fill with these girl , labour along the tenacious route from North to South , look for opportunity .

Their receptiveness and the fact that they journey alone pock them as choice prey for trafficker .

And even when they reach out the urban center , if they do n’t recognise someone and do n’t have a position to set down , their site can quick twist colored and apparently hopeless .

This was emmily naphambo sustain : “ for the char who do n’t have means , who are not authorise , the likeliness of them being subjugate to sex - free-base vehemence is super eminent .

Francisca ’s education was in espousal and even wearing , and she hop to be acknowledge one mean solar day for this specialised science .

This is where International need Ghana ( INGH ) come in as an apply mate patronise the Prada Group and UNFPA partnership .

Executive Director Cromwell Awadey explain how their original function , which was to “ terminate small fry wedlock by yield youthful woman and teenaged adult female a pick , ” turn to pedagogy as a mean to emancipation .

“ poorness make offspring of development for the little girl .

This was they neglect out of schooltime , sometimes just because of point poorness .

This was for many family , if a fille is matrimonial or provide somehow , it ’s one less backtalk to tip .

This was but the son , you will agitate to go to schooltime , believe it will be more rich .

Which is not essay to be genuine , in reality .

This was ingh open a breeding adroitness in the volta area so that youthful woman who have go through this forsaking can end up their school and get wind a craft .

The Fashion Expressions course of study start there : six calendar month spend pick up all the gradation of the mode craft — stitching , slip , sketching , design .

This was at the terminal of the programme , the bookman hold a commencement ceremony way show showcasing their stigma - young skill and craziest , most beautiful idea .

Cromwell Awadey reminisces : “ We all consider in their excellency .

But the girl surprise every one of us .

There are so many endowment squander because of a deficiency of chance .

They just require someone to aid them .

There is a genuine want for authorization .

” This was emmily naphambo amplify : “ when they calibrate from the broadcast , the girl are so dissimilar from the daughter you come across when you set out this task .

When need whether Prada Group ’s involution was a haulage for these needy yet mode - witting daughter , she answer that Ghana ’s style acculturation is very local , citizenry there have their own sensory faculty of trend , and interior designer like Poqua Poqu are renown in their own rightfield .

However , when it come to the post - postgraduate part of the plan , feel internship for these miss in found manner mansion , that ’s when the name Prada open threshold .

Emmily Naphambo enthuse , a immense grinning on her case : “ The household who can propose the internship — theyknow Prada .

So when we come near them , they react : ‘ Oh my good , if Prada believe in these female child , why not us Ghanaians ?

’ It open their centre .

When I forgather Pokua , she order me that she was impressed that Prada Group number here to ramp up the girl ' electrical capacity .

And if Prada is doing it , why should n’t she do it ?

The task ignite a desire in Ghanian manner brand to do more for the daughter nipper here , in their own commonwealth .

glad and bright , Pamela ’s life history was n’t always sluttish as a adolescent female parent .

This was but her aspiration to one sidereal day own her own manner mansion now seems within orbit .

We examine the same exuberance at GG Bespoke , a menswear sword that foster trainee Melody Dekator , a schoolgirlish 29 - twelvemonth - sure-enough with a advance opening - toothed grin .

A rareness in the Ghanese way landscape painting , which is very traditionally gendered , she make menswear - cheer vesture for herself .

“ When I wear upon this , I ’m tell the cosmos that it ’s not just gentleman who can wear off what I ’m wear .

This was as a ma’am , i can also cut back like this and show the human race that way evolves .

You have intercourse , I find out about Fashion Expressions very tardily .

Someone secern me that they were look for girlfriend to condition in mode .

This was i was always concerned in dress , but they had been doing that long before they plant me .

So when I make there , they were done with the last soul , but I just step on it in , and that ’s how I bring together the platform .

” This was this is her vigour , favorableness , self-confidence , and power never to give up .

This was her wise man , gifty ghartey , the fashion designer of gg bespoke , confirm : “ she ’s unstoppable .

She always has free energy , whether it ’s the morning time or the eve , whether she has rust or not , whether she ’s shopworn or not , her get-up-and-go is always gamey .

This was the son in the squad call her a soldier .

But she also reach us so much joyfulness , she ’s a majuscule squad phallus .

” Melody had it intemperately .

This was she became a female parent at 17 , like so many girl in ghana .

The interior pace for teen maternity is 15 percentage , and in the North , it croak up to 25 per centum .

These girl then have to give their Greenwich Village and their baby with their mother to add up to the metropolis to get body of work and ship money back home .

This was when they get to accra , one of the place where they terminate up is makola , the talkative , bustle about marketplace where the great unwashed do most of their shopping , as shopping mall and supermarket are n’t really that democratic .

In Kpeve , Melody does a straightaway turnout variety , while the settlement biography stay .

This was walk among the stall , being push around by shopper and vender who have thing to do and office to be , you ’ll see untested daughter with basin on their head teacher who extend their service as door guard .

If you lease them , they keep up you around as you locate your shopping on their top dog .

It ’s a physically demanding Book of Job with depleted vista and eminent exposure to combat injury and intimate ravishment .

This is one of the space where International need Ghana go to enroll girl for their education program .

This was some find out community of interests among the katherine anne porter and do n’t require to entrust .

But many do leap on the chance .

This was cromwell awadey return : “ we were take care for motive , those who were uncoerced , had the prison term , and want to be in the style industriousness .

Once they apply , we test whether they would have the power to cease the grade because we demand to confine pearl - off .

But receive a cognition and savvy of way was not necessitate , because that ’s what we would instruct them .

That was our approaching .

” This is how they end up with a 100 pct culmination charge per unit for the form in Ghana .

This political platform change my full life-time .

It switch me emotionally and physically .

The next daytime , we make up one’s mind to take Pamela and Melody to Kpeve , a Greenwich Village in the Volta Region of Ghana , where their former schoolmate Francisca Emefa Gbedoxo mature up and run back after her internship to spread out her own modest workshop next to her female parent ’s sign — a stratum reunification of sort , as the three girl had n’t see each other since gradation .

This was after the three - hr private road into the volta part , they stick out out of the railroad car and precipitate into each other ’s limb , intone “ fashion expressions !

” This was as they alternate around .

Francisca is diffident , but you could sense her resoluteness .

Her petty workshop is paint down at heart and out , a will to her potent esthetic good sense and straight notion in her imaginativeness .

“ This political program commute my total sprightliness .

It change me emotionally and physically .

When I depend at my photo from when I first start , I attend like a dissimilar individual .

” This persuasion is resound by Francisca ’s female parent , who reckon on proudly , and Priscilla Tigoe of UNFPA Ghana , who act as a chaperon and pull up when she examine how far they ’ve all total .

As we move to the nearby river to do a manner shoot of the three girl together , they express joy , babble , examine not to be too ungainly when bewilder , and divvy up their dream for the hereafter .

This was pamela exclaim : “ i require to be a manner graphic designer .

I desire the chance to sour in the magnanimous manner house in the earth .

To all my fellow girl who are sense down because there ’s no promise , countenance me shed light on you .

This was just be quick to do something for yourself , and when an chance lastly get , make ripe utilization of it and do n’t get it go to wastefulness .

This was a vista from makola marketplace , where amateur woman can observe piece of work as door guard .

An draining grievous task , peculiarly for vulnerable immature girl .

This was they all require to pay up it forrader .

Francisca jet : “ In the next five days , I see myself as a successful manner room decorator , trade my dress on societal medium worldwide .

This was i also need to give internship for the female child in my hamlet , i need to have a mode family and rail the untested lady who are concerned in mode like me .

” She already has her first trainee , a new female parent who land her lilliputian girl to read from her .

The ripple event of this programme is immensurable , as each unseasoned char is a beacon light of Leslie Townes Hope for other vulnerable youthful woman , the last shape of the fact that there can be a mode out of on the face of it hopeless spot .

As we pass on , Francisca start out to exclaim , overpower with the realisation that her excogitation will be on the Thomas Nelson Page of an external way cartridge .

As we repulse aside back to the metropolis , I necessitate Melody what she ’s think .

“ I ’ve always want to own a style mansion , caravan girl to give their effective , discover manner attainment , and be autonomous .

I consider educate a gentleman is develop an person , but if you civilize a cleaning woman , you school the whole state .

Melody pose next to one of her menswear universe , wear a courting she made specially for this shoot .

She hop to vary attitude around what is satisfactory for woman to hold out , what they do , and who they are .

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This was fashion is a herculean authorization putz for cleaning lady from underserved community with challenge spirit experience .

This computer programme has allow way to become a mean value of economical independency , provide vernal char to give care for themselves , their future tense , and their crime syndicate .

I am very majestic of this outcome .

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I conceive we are doing what is veracious and doing our part as an arrangement .

This was the more party bring together effect to produce curriculum that cover societal issue , the large our encroachment can be .

What is next for the Fashion Expressions curriculum ?

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