Monday, September 22, 2025
Fall 2025 Update
Hello friends of the Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation! We wanted to give a quick update on recent news and events regarding the vibrant Charlottesville-Winneba Sister City partnership.
* Upcoming Sister City Delegations to Winneba
Two groups of Charlottesville residents will be heading to Winneba in the coming months, one at the end of December 2025 (in conjunction with Winneba's Kakamotobi, or Fancy Dress, Festival) and one in early May 2026 (in conjunction with the world-renowned Aboakyer Festival). The Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation is always happy to introduce (or re-introduce) Charlottesvillians to their Sister City! Almost 300 local residents have made the life-changing journey since 2009. If you'd like to participate in either of these delegations, please contact cvillewinneba@gmail.com. The travel fee is $3,000 and includes airfare, lodging, meals, travel visa, travel health insurance, ground transportation, and admission to cultural and historic sites.
Tracey Howard-Gough is already starting to lay the groundwork for our December 2026 trip, on which we hope to include a number of Charlottesville youth along with mentors from the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Stay tuned for more info!
* Albemarle Rotary Club Grant
We're pleased to report that the Albemarle County Rotary Club has just approved a $1,500 grant for repairs of the storm-damaged Osubonpanyin/
This is the second grant that the Albemarle County Rotary Club has made for school upgrades in Winneba. In 2022, the Club awarded a $1,400 grant toward the construction of a library and IT center at Coast Bridge Academy in Winneba. Many thanks to the Albemarle Rotarians for their continued support!
* Coast Bridge Expansion
Speaking of Coast Bridge Academy, several Charlottesville residents have made generous donations over the last several months toward the construction of a dining hall, a renovated classroom building and expanded library/IT space at the school, which serves the impoverished Akosua Village. The 100+ children who attend Coast Bridge are excited at all of the new school infrastructure! Many thanks to Rupa Valdez and to Rajan and Kashmira Sheth for making these vital school improvements possible.
* Maternal and Infant Health
The Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation is excited to be working in partnership with PROSAMI to improve maternal and infant health in Winneba. The Staunton-based PROSAMI, which began operations in 2009 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, recently expanded to serve the Municipal Hospital of Winneba. PROSAMI has already donated a significant volume of medical supplies to Winneba and is looking to offer midwife training and other supports. Meanwhile, Gwen Goodkin, who participated in our May 2022 delegation to Winneba, continues to gather together medical equipment and supplies for the Municipal Hospital of Winneba and is hoping to make another shipment of donated materials in late 2025 or early 2026.
* Support for Women Entrepreneurs
The Charlottesville-based Helen Project International, under the leadership of Founder and Executive Director Dr. Dale Johnson (who participated in our very first delegation to Winneba in 2009) and Project Manager Tina Yawson, continues to provide small loans to women in Winneba to start or grow their own businesses. The program focuses on uplifting grandmothers who are raising orphaned children. 57 women have received loans to date and so far the program has a 100% repayment rate!
Gaynell Spinner, a participant in the May 2024 Sister City delegation to Winneba, befriended a hair braider in Winneba named Hawa on her trip and subsequently provided financial support for Hawa to open her own hair salon. "Understanding that she needed sustainable empowerment rather than temporary financial support," said Gaynell, "I took deliberate action. I am thankful for my obedience to God's vision, which has transformed her life. I hope Hawa's business will serve as a beacon in her community, illustrating the manifestation of answered prayers through Faith, hope and love." We are thrilled for Hawa and wish her all the best. Thanks Gaynell!
* Welcoming Winneba’s New Mayor
In August 2025, Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation President Nana Ghartey and Executive Director Dave Norris paid a courtesy call on Winneba's new Municipal Chief Executive (aka Mayor), Hon. Rev. Atta Mensah. Nana and Dave congratulated Hon. Mensah on his appointment to the post and invited him to visit Charlottesville during his tenure. The MCE said he is excited to build on the Charlottesville-Winneba connection over the coming years.
* Winneba Public Library Update
The Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation played a key role in establishing Winneba's first public library. Over the last several years, the Member of Parliament from Winneba, Hon. Alex Afenyo-Markin, secured funds to build 18 satellite branches of the Winneba library all throughout the Effutu region. Winneba's library system is now the pride and envy of Ghana! Many Charlottesville residents have supported the Winneba libraries by sponsoring library cards for students, reading to kids, donating books, etc. We're happy to encourage the love of reading in our Sister City.
* Manuel's is Growing!
With loan financing from friends in Charlottesville, Emanuel Mishiwo, proprietor of Manuel's Guesthouse (where our Sister City delegations usually stay in Winneba), is expanding his guesthouse to include four new guest rooms, a new streetside shop, and a new reception area. We look forward to enjoying the new & improved Manuel's on our next visit!
* Charlottesville Photographer on Exhibit in Winneba
Paul Stams, Charlottesville photo artist, visited Winneba as a member of our May 2023 delegation and used photographs from Winneba's fishing harbor to create a series of photo montages which have subsequently been featured in several Charlottesville art exhibits. One of Paul's pieces is now on display at Manuel's Guesthouse in Winneba. For more info on Paul's work, see https://paul-stams.pixels.com/
This is just a taste of the many collaborations, activities and exchanges being undertaken by the all-volunteer Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation. As always, we welcome any financial support that you'd be willing to provide to our efforts. Donations can be made via check to "Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation," 1137 Locust Ave., Charlottesville, VA 22901 or online via www.paypal.me/cvillewinneba. All contributions are tax-deductible. Many thanks for your support!
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