Our story
From personal struggle to community empowerment
The story of ASIGE is rooted in the personal journey of our founder, Dorcas Apoore, and a profound commitment to giving back. In 2013, despite achieving excellent WASSCE results from Senior High School, Dorcas faced a heartbreaking reality: poverty prevented her from pursuing a university education. It was a full scholarship from CAMFED Ghana to the University for Development Studies, where she studied Planning, that opened new doors for her. Inspired by the CAMFED Change Makers Congress in 2014, Dorcas's passion for community service was ignited, leading to the vision for Advocacy for Social Inclusion and Girls’ Education (ASIGE).
A community-driven approach
ASIGE was formally registered as a charitable organisation in Ghana in 2016. The seeds of its core mission were sown during Dorcas’s university studies. In 2015, as part of her Third Trimester Field Practical Programme (TTFPP), Dorcas spent two months in Sumbrungu. Collaborating with her colleagues, she conducted in-depth community data gathering, uncovering prevalent issues such as youth streetism, rural-urban migration, widespread poverty, and critically, a low level of girls' education.
Sharing her research findings with a dedicated team, Dorcas began to explore innovative ways to utilise local resources to alleviate poverty and generate sustainable income, particularly for women in the community.
A partnership forged, a project born
Crucially, the establishment of ASIGE was made possible through the invaluable partnership of The Pollination Project, USA. After recognising the urgent need for women and young people in our community to gain employable skills and support their children’s education, we pursued several opportunities for support. It was through persistent effort that we secured a grant from The Pollination Project, an achievement that marked the beginning of ASIGE’s journey.
It was this powerful synergy that brought the ASIGE basketry project to centre stage. Launched in February 2017 with initial funding of $500 from The Pollination Project in the United States, this initiative became the cornerstone of our efforts to transform lives through sustainable craftsmanship. From these beginnings, ASIGE has grown, driven by a deep commitment to its founding principles and the communities it serves.
ASIGE in the UK
In 2022, Dorcas Apoore, ASIGE’s founder, was awarded the prestigious fully funded scholarship through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh. During her master’s studies, she was selected to join the Edinburgh Summer Accelerator Programme, where she identified a growing demand for ethically made and sustainable products in the UK market. Inspired by this insight and supported by Edinburgh Innovations, Dorcas applied for the UK Innovator Founder Visa and was successfully endorsed.
In 2024, with additional support from the International Social Enterprise Observatory (ISEO), ASIGE was officially established in the UK as a registered social enterprise. Today, ASIGE operates across Ghana and the United Kingdom, connecting artisan producers with conscious consumers worldwide. Through sustainable design, inclusive employment, and cross-border collaboration, we continue to scale our impact empowering women, promoting eco-conscious living, and building bridges between communities and markets.