Official launch of the book “The side we choose to see”

Enlightening, poignant stories about imprisoned women in Ghana

Residence of France

Thursday, January 30th, 6.30pm

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On Thursday, January 30th, the French Ambassador Frédéric Clavier, will welcome at the Residence of France the Director of the Angel-Zoe Foundation, Abena Antwi, for the official launch of her book titled “The side we choose to see”.

In this brief collection of mini-memoirs, Ghanaian women’s advocate Abena Antwi collects the stories of 12 women serving prison sentences in seven prisons in Ghana, ranging from death row, life and a minimum of six months. She believes that their convictions are only a small part of their stories, and she invites these women to shed light on the dramatic circumstances and desperate choices that led to their imprisonment.

With these poignant stories, Abena Antwi aims to encourage, educate and support women in their daily life.

France is attached to help Ghana to address the rate of crime in the society.

In 2012, the French government through the Fund for Social Development, has supported the Not-for-Profit Organization Angel Zoe Foundation of Abena Antwi with 32 605 GHC. The project was to reintegrate women and minors prison/shelter inmates from Nsawam Female Prison, Senior correctional center (Accra), shelter for abused children and boys remand (Osu), Akuse Female prison back into society, through reintegration, psychological support, training, job search and training for the prison administrators.

In 2013, Abena Antwi has been invited to France during one week thanks to a young leaders program of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She had the opportunity to meet with the institutional players, social partners, civil society etc. and had high level discussions with the Ministry of Women’s Right Chief of Staff and the Head of the Penitentiary Integration and Probation Department of the Ministry of Justice, among others.

The book launching is also aimed to support and promote the NGO Angel Zoe Foundation. Ghanaian authorities, institutional players, civil society, companies will be present.

You welcome to join them at 6.30pm, on January 30th, at the Residence of France (opposite the American Embassy, Cantonments). For security matters, thank you to confirm your attendance.

More about the author and her foundation:

Abena has a multi-faceted experience gained from years of working in different disciplines and sectors. Her areas of expertise include the development of proposals to source for funds; identification and composition of new ventures; results-based Strategic Management, Research, Organizational Restructuring and Report Writing with admirable presentation skills.

Abena is motivated by her desire to educate the public and advocate for a section of Society that has been forgotten. She is inspired by their stories, appreciates their pains and wishes to let us all know that anyone could fall victim to the act of crime.

On the 25th of October 2012 Abena Antwi received a National Award from His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana at the National Youth Achievers Awards for the role in advocating, impacting and providing hope for a sector of our society who have been neglected.

Angel-Zoe Foundation was set-up in 2007 with the objective of reaching out to the vulnerable in society especially women and juveniles with special interest in prison inmates to help rehabilitate and properly re-integrate them into society after their discharge.

The Activities of the foundation are as follows:

? The Mentoring and Coaching Project

? The Inmate Training and Job Placement Project

? The Inmate Emergency Relief Project

? The Inmates Correspondence Project

? The Shelter Support Project

? The Human Rights Advocacy Project

? Economic Empowerment Project

? Reformation Project