Charity Maame Ekua Adupong is the founder and CEO of Meannan Foods. She is a food processing entrepreneur who employs 32 direct employees and hundreds of indirect employees on the farm fields. She is also a trainer in the agro-business enterprise and an advocate for women's economic empowerment. As an award-winning self-taught food processor with 15 years of experience and over 30 products under the Meannan brand, Charity has been featured in various agro-industry journals, newspapers, TV and radio shows. She is also an advocate of Ghana's poultry industry by championing the Ghana Egg Campaign in 2018 and helping build Ghana's egg standards. Previously an accountant with 11 years of experience in practical accounting, Charity moved into food processing to preserve indigenous Ghanaian foods and recipes through innovation to make them more convenient to enjoy and sustain the food traditions. Charity is a mother, a wife, a sister, an aunt and an entrepreneur poised to make a difference in her society for positive change.

IVLP Impact Award Project: Internationally Enterprising

The project was aimed at developing an entrepreneurial spirit in students by showing them success stories of people who have walked their path and found success with hard work and dedication. The project showed that there is no shortcut to wealth and happiness.

The project consisted of the formation of an entrepreneurship club, where students received entrepreneurship insight from established practitioners. The project was school-based and therefore involved about 80 student participants from SWESCO high school within the catchment area of the Swedru Township, in the central region of Ghana. Consideration was made for non-students within the same catchment area who have the drive and passion for entrepreneurship, and 11 such students joined the club as well. Sessions focused on practical skill building, stories shared by successful entrepreneurs, soft skills training and team building activities. After the skills they learned in the club, several student members went on to open their own businesses. 

"I have noticed a boost in the confidence of the club members and want more students participating." - SWESCO High School Headmistress

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Charity was a participant in the IVLP Project Women and Entrepreneurship, organized by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global.

Charity's exchange experience led to the development of her IVLP Impact Award Project: "No matter how high you go as an entrepreneur; our challenges are the same. All you need to do is to master the solutions and build the systems through them."

U.S. Communities Visited Virtually

Huntsville, AL; Sacramento, CA; Washington, DC; Charlotte, NC; Akron, OH; Cleveland, OH

Country: Ghana

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