The Fabulous Woman Network (The FWN), a renowned platform dedicated to empowering African women business leaders with entrepreneurs, has unveiled plans to build a retreat center for women in commemoration of its 10th anniversary.

The ‘Fab Village’ project has been described as “an ambitious plan for sustainable impact” by the network.

The innovative sustainable model seeks to provide lodging, healthy meals, and a range of programs like workshops, meditation, and other wellness activities targeted primarily at women.

This was disclosed at the anniversary event gala, themed: “Celebrating a Decade of Inspiration & Growth”.

Founder of The Fabulous Woman Network, Ama Duncan, is hopeful the retreat center will be completed by 2030.

“This is the vision we’re running with till 2030. We’re positive that we will have the resources to finish it before. We look forward to establishing this and inviting people from all over the world to access it’ she said.

An advisory board member of the Network, Maame Afon Yelbert-Sai, explained building a retreat center aligns with the values of the network.

“I see this Fab Village becoming a reality, because it is the embodiment of all the things that our network stands for and if that becomes a reality, what that does also is that it’ll inspire others and allow people to see what is possible and I’m really excited about that,” she added.

A highlight of the gala night was the official launch of ‘The Fabulous Woman Vol. I: Wawa Aba’, a collection of inspiring true life stories from women who have overcome challenges and transformed their communities.

Gloria Jane Williston, a 33-year-old woman who was born with a physical disability, had her story featured in the book. She has had a prosthetic leg for a better part of her life and is now a strong advocate for women with disabilities.

“My story has evolved since I shared it and it keeps evolving. My story is about hope, healing and impact and I hope that wherever anyone is in their journey, that they’ll forge on and not let the voices in their heads and other people distort your voice within,” she said.

The gala also included a special segment dedicated to honoring local champions who have made significant contributions within their communities. Their achievements were celebrated with heartfelt speeches and awards.

The night featured a runway performance where colourful Afrocentric clothes were displayed by fashion designers and their models.