Economic Empowerment
We've piloted skills training, like sewing, to help families build income and break the cycle of poverty.
Our Story
Where we came from
What started as a study-abroad project has now transformed into a comprehensive nonprofit.
Lizzie, Teagan, and Reeva studied abroad in Fall 2019. During a homestay in Senase, Ghana, they learned many girls in the village cannot afford sanitary products. Some girls miss school every month when they get their period, consequently falling behind in their school curriculum. Other girls turn to sexual relationships with older men in exchange for pads; this often leads to pregnancies, STDs, or gender-based violence. Several teachers spend a significant portion of their salary purchasing pads to help their students. However, this is only a temporary solution, and young girls are stuck in a cycle of poverty, losing their access to education.
Lizzie, Teagan, and Reeva wanted to do something about this issue. They already had the requisite expertise to develop a solution, with collective backgrounds in public health, education, community organization, business, and marketing.
However, they knew the initiatives to address these issues had to have community buy-in and, ultimately, be community-led efforts. Lizzie, Teagan, and Reeva returned home and reached out to school teachers, community leaders, and donors to better understand how a program like this would function in Senase. Armed with knowledge and community support, the team designed an elective class in which older girls could sew reusable pads to distribute to those in need. And thus, the Senase Project was born.
In 2022, Reeva brought in Josh for marketing, IT, team management, and reporting. Together, they grounded the Jova Foundation in three core principles: economic empowerment, leadership development, and environmental sustainability. The Senase Project is our first step, and we hope it is the start of many projects built on those same principles.
With Josh and Reeva's backgrounds in public health, entrepreneurship, and data, they work alongside local communities to build programs that address systemic issues. Together, they invest in physical infrastructure, share knowledge and resources, and support the local leaders who keep the work going.
