Thirty-two women acquire employable skills

Accra, May 22, GNA - Thirty-two women from Agbobloshie and its surrounding areas have acquired employable skills through the support of the Initiative Development, (ID), a non-religious organisation and the GHACOE Women's Ministry.

They were trained in batik; tie and dye; beads; soap and pastries making with financial support from the French Embassy through its Fund for Social Development Programme (FSD).

Mr Francis Beinpuo, Executive Director of ID, said the organisation was established in 1998 to create dynamic financial, entrepreneurial and social development organisations, which would provide economic opportunities to people living in urban deprived areas. He said the organisation had since been operating in very poor neighbourhoods in the Accra Metropolis that were most difficult to reach with conventional banking products offered by the formal and semi-formal financial institutions.

The areas included Nima; Accra Newtown; Chorkor; Zongo; Sukura; Russia; Zambramaline; Agbogbloshie and their surrounding areas. Mr Beinpuo said apart from sponsoring training programmes, they also offered easy access to credit facilities to participants in its programmes for short periods to enable them to undertake income generating activities.

He said under the partnership, GHACOE Women's Ministry would continue to monitor the progress of the women in the field and offer suggestions to address challenges that might arise. He, therefore, urged them to use the skills acquired properly so that they could face the future with hope.

"You no longer have any reason to say you are jobless since you now have the skills for self-employment. So do not go looking for job. Be your own employer and employ others," he said.

The Reverend Charlotte Opoku-Addo, representative from GHACOE Women's Ministry, said the Ministry was establish in 1977 to evangelise but had to be expanded to a holistic ministry to assist the vulnerable in society, especially women in acquiring employable skills to support their families and also to improve their living standards.

She said the Ministry had trained about 7,000 women and a few men countrywide and urged the women to observe personal hygiene both at home and in the course of their trading activities. "You must try to be ideal women to ensure happiness in your marital homes and in the society at large," she said.

Rev. Opoku-Addo appealed to philanthropists to assist the Ministry financially to enable it to train more people. Ms Patience Opoku, Schedule Officer, Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs, said the skills provided would empower the women to supplement the work of the Ministry and commended the ID and its partners for their support for the poor.

Ms Francine Meyer, Cultural Attache, French Embassy, said the contribution of French Cooperation was to give skills training to deprived communities in Ghana to enable them to improve on their standards of living and that of their dependants. Some of the products made by the women were exhibited.