DFREE® in Ghana
About
To mark the 10th anniversary of his first visit to Ghana, Dr. Soaries was enstooled a chief by His Majesty the King of Akyem Abuakwa, in recognition of his work towards development throughout the kingdom and the country. As Nkosuorhene (chief of development), he continues to drive projects that directly address community especially in education, livelihoods for children and youth and community development.
DFREE IN THE WORKPLACE
Through a local church, the DFREE Club started an outreach to enroll the youth in the Billion Dollar challenge (BDC). This comprised mostly college students and new graduates with entry level jobs and some student loans. In its first year alone, the first group recruited over 20 members who paid down about twenty-thousand cedis in debt (about $4,200) – a substantial amount by Ghanaian standard. The church-based DFREE activities also outreached to traders in local markets, mostly women who trade in fast moving consumable goods. Through monthly engagements at their places of business, the Club’s objective was to help them understand basic bookkeeping and encourage them to save in banking institutions in order to grow their business and improve their standards of living.
DFREE IN THE CHURCH
The DFREE program was piloted in Ghana within an organization where workplace loans were common practice. Without a cap on borrowing power of employees, employers capitalized on this practice to leave most employees in wage deficit at the end of the pay cycle. Under the leadership of Mark, several staff of the organization joined the club and set individual as well as communal goals to pay off debt using such strategies such as the snowball method taught in the program. This kicked off and spiraled into a campaign even without the participants’ access to workbooks. More importantly, they formed a support group that motivated and encouraged one another by sharing success stories and personal approaches to self-discipline. In short, a lifestyle and mindset change around money and spending was born.
PARTNERSHIPS
The DFREE Club, Ghana has partnered with Gamma Alpha Sigma Zeta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (A.K.A. Ghana Zetas) to promote financial literary among specific groups of consumers. This mostly includes women and girls in shelters and halfway homes often rescued or escaping from abusive homes. They also work with fisherfolks and farmers in rural communities, and street hawkers in urban areas. Working through the Agape Sanctuary of Victory Bible Church, the engagement of youth in the Billion Dolla Challenge and outreach to market traders have been extremely successful campaigns that can only group through other sanctuaries of the church.
CHALLENGES
The DFREE Club, Ghana has struggled with sustainability over the years. Funding for travel, access to resources like books and internet service are some of the factors affecting the few volunteers who have committed to driving the cause. In this new phase, the emphasis on working through the church, hopefully, changes the narrative. Support in the form of books and funding to host events, educate market traders and reach more beneficiaries would be welcome.
SUCCESSES
Over 100 individuals have successfully completed the program since inception. Apart from the debt paid down, group members have also saved over 60,000 cedis ($8,000) collectively in about 3 years through the Billion Dollar Challenge. The Club continues to lead the charge of helping individuals pay down debt, save to create wealth, and learn to invest and grow their incomes for better standards of living.
Featured projects
With the support of dedicated partners and community leaders, our initiatives drive measurable impact and create lasting change across Ghana.
High-Speed Satellite Internet for Kyebi
The introduction of high-speed internet in the Kyebi township, powered by Starlink, marks a significant milestone in bridging the digital divide, especially for the youth and young adults. By introducing low-latency, satellite-based connectivity to the area, this initiative transforms a local neighborhood into a connected hub, removing geographical barriers that previously limited access to information. DFREE Foundation has effectively leapfrogged older technologies to ensure the youth of Kyebi are no longer competing with a handicap; they have the same data-transfer capabilities as a student in a major global tech hub. This level playing field ensures that talent, not location, becomes the only limit to what they can achieve.
Let's create financial empowerment
By investing in education, clean water for a village, or skills training for the youth, you make a significant contribution to empowering whole generations to be independent and to have better quality of life.