AWDF supports 179 women groups in Africa

Wa, Feb. 23, GNA- African Women's Development Fund [AWDF] an international Non-governmental organization has disbursed 38,000 dollars among 25 women income generating groups in Ghana between 2001 and 2004. So far the NGO has provided a total of 1.5 million dollars to 179 women organisations in 33 African countries.

Miss Stella Kofie-Yariga, Senior Programme Manager of AWDF announced this in Wa at the end of a three-day capacity building workshop for about 20 community- based women organizations in the Upper West Region.

She said AWDF would strive hard to ensure that women lived in social justice, equality and respect to uplift their dignity.

"By so doing we shall build their capacities in leadership and management skills, group dynamics, basic accounting, book keeping, marketing and selling techniques, fundraising, legal, literacy and women empowerment, which will strengthen them to be financially independent." Mrs Mary R.D. Balor, leading member of Mataa 'N' Tudu, an indigenous NGO commended AWDF for their tremendous contribution towards the development of women throughout the country and expressed the hope that the support would be extended to longer periods.

She said AWDF supported her NGO with a total of US$7,500 dollars for discussion programmes and radio talk shows, which exposed their activities to a vast majority of women in the rural areas. AWDF has within two weeks organized similar workshops for women in the Northern and Upper East regions.