29/04/2019
Meet Portia Agyei Yeboah
Portia is founder and Chief-Servant of OAK Foundation Ghana, an NGO dedicated to education, professional development and entrepreneurship of young women. Her work derives from a passion to help young women in marginalized communities achieve their potential. Prior to founding OAK Foundation, Portia worked in middle management roles in various non-profit organizations. She also gained valuable work experience in social enterprise start-ups. Subsequent to her first degree, Portia has dedicated herself to mentoring around 3000 Senior High Schools girls in Ghana. She passionately believes that when women are educated, the positive impact transcends generations. Her passion for the advancement of young women also stems from her own background and life’s experiences.
The motivation for choosing agriculture and agribusiness also stems from the desire to add value to ensure higher productivity, better pricing and improved economic prospects for young people. For instance, in the maize and rice value chain, OAK Foundation has formed cooperatives of young women and supports them with agricultural mechanization, land preparation, extension services, as well as branding and sales aggregation. Currently, OAK Foundation’s work impacts the lives of over 400 young women aged 20 – 45. As a result of these interventions, Portia was recognized for her advocacy by the Ministry of Food & Agriculture as “The Most Innovative Farmer” in the Ejura-Sekyidumase Municipal. Portia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership & Governance, both from the University of Ghana