A Ban Against Neglect (ABAN)

ABAN Programs

ABAN is a US Non-Profit and International NGO that transforms an environmental epidemic into hope for young mothers (15-20 years) whom are living on the streets of Ghana. 

By sewing their city’s trash into marketable products, these women are making a lasting impact on their community as well as their own lives. ABAN provides housing, skills training, general education, business training and a matched savings program in order to empower these young women to transition off the streets, break the cycle of homelessness and become self-reliant leaders in their communities.

Back in the States, students just like you are selling ABAN products to fund their fieldtrips, sports teams and extracurricular activities.  By having ABAN fundraisers, students are not only reaching their fundraising goals but empowering 20 young women in Ghana!

Why the Need

Every day 40 tons of plastic ends up on the streets of Accra, Ghana.

Every night 30,000 youth fall asleep on these same streets.

            One third are young mothers with babies.

Let me introduce you to Ghana’s most common source of pure water: the sachet bag.

While the sachet does provides safe, convenient water across the country, the lack of infrastructure and low environmental consciousness causes the plastic to litter the streets – clogging gutters that overflow into the streets, breeding mosquitoes which often leads to increased cases of malaria, and even becoming a death threat to the valuable livestock that roam unleashed.  Without proper trash pickup, the streets remain neglected as they collect over 40 tons of plastic each day.  

Meanwhile, 30,000 youth sleep on these same streets every night.  Of these, about one-third are young mothers between the ages of 15-20 years old.  Without a proper education or valuable skills, these girls often end up hawking, begging, stealing or even prostituting themselves in order to make a living. 

How Team Efforts Translate to Impact

In the United States, a dollar can buy you a soda or maybe a pack of gum if you’re lucky.  In Ghana, the same amount can provide a mother and child with healthcare for an entire month -- needless to say, your funds will go far in Ghana!

NGC funding will expand ABAN’s recycling initiatives!  For $500, ABAN can purchase a clay oven and the materials necessary to begin recycling bottles into beads! Just think, your team could add BEAD MAKING as one of our skills training opportunities! 

Want to double your impact?  Raise funds for the ABAN girls by selling ABAN products!  House a house party, show our documentary, sell to your friends and family… the possibilities are endless!

How ABAN Creates Sustainable Global Change

It is estimated that 7,000 street mothers under the age of 20 are homeless and living on the streets of the Accra.  ABAN reaches out to these women.  Although there are other nonprofit organizations that offer temporary shelter to those women who are homeless, it is just that—a temporary solution. ABAN offers more by providing sustainable housing for an extended time (2 years), an education in English and Business, the development of marketable seamstress skills, and financial assistance. These things, when accompanied by our empowerment program, can make all the difference in the world. The ABAN programs works to combat the root cause of neglect by giving these women something to commit to for 2 years, and by teaching them the basics of living a sustainable life. ABAN doesn’t just give these women a place to stay, it gives them understanding, hope, confidence and the tools necessary to transform their lives. Our approach aims to combat the root causes of neglect by breaking the cycle it creates. As these women go on to create better lives for themselves and are able to provide for their children, they then can prevent later generations of street children in Ghana.