Way back in November, I blithely mentioned in a transition subject post that I would provide a separate update on the subject of the Theodora Project and my Rotary Club to End Human Trafficking Economic Development Initiative (EDI) project. Well here we are in January and I am just getting around to it. I'm going to organize this into four sections. And because as I started to write this I realized it is going to be very long, I am going to break it down into four separate posts
- Theodora today update
- EDI today update
- Short-term goals
- Long-term transition goals
Theodora Today
Amazing as it may seem, Theodora Ghana Virtual Assistants is operating very stably. We are currently running cash flow positive. My manager, M, has stepped up to the plate and runs everything day-to-day operationally. I have no involvement with clients, with work product, facility operations, training, etc. When one considers our mission, and how far our people had to go to be commercially relevant, this is pretty amazing. I am still running our finances. And we have a big challenge to develop a business development system. (See Short-Term Goals)
One of the major events taking place over 2025, was our receiving a District International Grant via my Club to train new participants. This is a big deal for many reasons.
Obviously it is important because it provides the funds to do the training we need to grow. However, it also provides validation that others see our concept works. To understand this, you need to understand how this grant came to be because I had nothing to do with it.
Manager M also sits on the Board of our Rotary Club. The Club, for its own reasons, wanted to get an international grant done. The key leaders went to M and asked her if Theodora could use funds. As it turned out, we had been wanting to train some new people provided by our prospective partner, the Muslim Family Counseling Service but had lacked the funds to do so. M suggested that be the use of grant funds. They got the grant put together and through one of our Board members got the necessary Ghana based club to do the grant.
M has subsequently done everything necessary to set up our facilities to house the new participants, organized the training, and is managing the training. If that were all, it alone would be validation when one considers how little M knew when she became our first program participant. But it is the back story of why the club approached M in the first place that is the real validation.
When I asked the clubs founding Presidents why they wanted to do the grant with Theodora they said,
"We have watched M and your other participants (who do volunteer work for the club). We watched her transform from an insecure girl escaping exploitation, to a confident young woman who is a major contributor to our Club and Board. If we are an organization that aims to prevent trafficking, we need to support organizations like Theodora that prove they can transform people and give them opportunities."
Further validation has come from the involvement of the Ghana Rotary Club. This is a club I met the very first trip I made to Ghana in 2019. My two strongest local Board members are from this club. But I've never been able to get the club as a whole pay any attention to Theodora. Their having been brought into this grant as completely changed that. They want to conduct a PR campaign promoting what Theodora is doing. They have asked to visit our operation when I'm in Ghana to learn more about the project.
Now there is still a lot, A LOT we need to do to get Theodora truly sustainable. But that hill is a lot lower and manageable than it was even 9 months ago.
Next post - the EDI today update
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