Josanna Lewin

Josanna Lewin (Vital Voices - Business Women’s Network hub, the Eagle Women Empowerment Club (EWEC)). Born and raised in Hawaii, Josanna studied in Costa Rica for 6 months with the American Field Service (AFS) in 1998. She received her BA in Political Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2004. Upon graduation, Josanna spent a year working as an English teacher at the Universidad Central de Ecuador in Quito, Ecuador, and in Italy. Josanna spent three years working in San Francisco in the business development field. She is fluent in Spanish and has worked as a Sexual Health Educator with the Marin Aids Project (MAP) for at risk Latino youth. At the time of her fellowship, Josanna was pursing her Master’s in Public Administration AT the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS). After her fellowship, Josanna wrote: “It has been a summer of learning, sharing and laughing with some incredible women. They are beautiful women and it is these women, these mothers, these sisters, these leaders, who are the future of Africa. This was a truly incredible summer and I’ve had such a positive experience. I’ve fallen in love with Ghana!"



Meet Fulera – An Eagle Woman

07 Jul

Several years ago, Fulera got off the bus in Accra with her daughter and 10 pesawas to her name.   Through a great deal of perseverance and passion, today Fulera is the proud owner of an artisan business that she has operated out of her home since 2008.  While the road has not been an easy one, an ever-growing client base and unique artisan designs have allowed Fulera’s business to experience a great deal of growth in the past two years.

Fulera prides herself on her unique designs that are made out of natural materials found across Africa.  Traveling as far as Burkina Faso and Mali for leather, seeds, and beads, Fulera has learned to reuse materials left for waste and create environmentally friendly yet fashionable designs. Often traveling long distances with her office carried on her shoulder, a studio to create and display her work is Fulera’s next step in expanding her business. With enough capital, Fulera is hopeful that she’ll be able to open a studio and purchase her own stone and leather cutting machines.

Eagle Women Empowerment Club (EWEC) has helped Fulera become a more confident businesswoman, specifically training her in strategic planning and providing her with valuable networking opportunities.  In the true spirit of an Eagle Woman, Fulera’s ultimate mission is to share her design knowledge and skills with other women less privileged than her.  A mentor at heart, Fulera hopes she will be able to give other women the opportunity to also be proud, independent businesswomen.

Posted By Josanna Lewin

Posted Jul 7th, 2010

6 Comments

  • Marilyn NGUEMO

    July 7, 2010

     

    Hello Josanna,
    Indeed, the profile of Fulera is great!
    Her work is a true reflection of her boldness!
    My next move is to share her story with the largest number of women.
    Cheers,
    Marilyn

    • Josanna Lewin

      July 15, 2010

       

      Thanks for reading Marilyn. Take a look at the video of Fulera as well. Let’s spread the Eagle Women around the world!

  • iain

    July 11, 2010

     

    I notice that Fulera is using “waste” materials for some of her handicrafts. Is there some way she could cooperate with Benedicta in Ghana, who makes products out of old drinking straws? There must be a lot of international interest in this: you Fellows might be well placed to find out and tap into it.

    • Josanna Lewin

      July 15, 2010

       

      Iain, I’ll contact you regarding information on Benedicta. That’s a great idea. Fulera is here at the office and I’ll mention the idea to her.

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