Our history
It started with one Jeep and a roadside repair.
During a simple roadside repair, two women stepped forward, eager to learn and ready to lead. In that moment we saw it clearly: the talent was already there. What was missing was opportunity.
The film
The Jeep that started it all.
The story of the roadside repair, and the Jeep at the centre of it.
From “how can we help?” to “how can we open doors?”
Two women pushed us to think differently. We started building relationships with local workshop owners, community leaders, trainers and partners who believed women belong in technical trades. We looked past traditional models of charity and focused on practical, market-driven solutions.
What began as a single hands-on lesson has grown into a movement that equips women with practical skills, confidence and real pathways to income.
As I stood beside that Jeep, watching two determined women eagerly learn something they had never been given access to before, I realised this wasn't just about fixing a vehicle. It was about unlocking potential.
Ben
Founder, WAJA
Thinking outside the box, step by step.
Mechanics willing to mentor
We partnered with working mechanics who agreed to train and mentor women in their own workshops.
Training for women left out of school
We designed the programme for women who had been excluded from formal education.
Literacy inside the workshop
Reading and numeracy are embedded in hands-on learning rather than taught separately.
Direct links to income
Graduates are connected to paid work, apprenticeships and their own service businesses.
Barriers removed with communities
We worked with communities on childcare and access to tools so women could actually attend.
Partnership over charity
Workshop owners, community leaders and trainers built this with us, not for us.
Where we've been, year by year.
2024
Pilot launched in a shared garage
A shared garage partnership in Ghana let training start quickly, with real vehicles, real tools and real customer expectations. The pilot began with 29 women.
2025
17 women in training
From 2025, 17 women remained actively committed and in training, including 3 orphans.
2026
NowTraining Centre launch
WAJA’s goal is to complete pilot training and launch the warehouse-based training center.
2027
A technology-enabled training centre
No new intake. WAJA will focus on fully developing the current 17 women through incubation, mentorship, personal development, and business readiness.
2028
Future Plans
WAJA plans to launch a second cohort, beginning with approximately 40 candidates and targeting a retained group of 30 participants through a more selective intake process.
The next chapter is the training centre.
17 women ready for the next phase. See where they train now and what we are building next.