Association of women entrepreneurs in Upper East Region inaugurated

Bolgatanga, Dec. 4, GNA - Association of Women Entrepreneurs in Upper East Region (ASWEUR) was inaugurated in Bolgatanga on Wednesday to empower and assist members to improve on their businesses. It was initiated by management of Trade Aid Integrated (TAI), a local NGO to provide loans, build the capacity of women entrepreneurs and provide business information. Mr Richard Ananga, Deputy Director of TAI, inaugurating the association said it was to enable members gain easy access to an enabling business environment to enhance their businesses. He said members of the association had already benefited from loans and technical assistance from TAI.

Mr Ananga said they could build a strong advocacy group to promote and champion their cause and urged members to take issues concerning the association serious. He said TAI would continue to assist them to improve on their operations especially access to market, business development plans, financial services and advocacy in research. Mr Ananga explained that efforts to address poverty in the Region was through building the capacity and assisting women entrepreneurs to undertake profitable ventures to support their families. He announced that since the inception of TAI, majority of women in Bongo, Talensi-Nabdam, Kassena-Nankana, and Bolgatanga Municipality had benefited immensely from loans which enabled them to expand their businesses.

Mr Luu Yin, a business analysis and lecturer at University for Development (UDS) educated the women entrepreneurs on business entity practice, risk taking and endurance, critical thinking and innovation.

He urged them to separate business from their own private lives, and morality from business, saying that it was the only way they could progress in their business to sustain it. Mr Kenneth Peligba, Dean of Applied Sciences at UDS commended the women entrepreneurs for forming the association. He said majority of women in the Region were the breadwinners of their families since some men were public and civil servants while majority of them were unemployed and urged the women to take their businesses seriously.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, majority of the women entrepreneurs said they had benefited a lot from the loans granted by TAI and were able to send their children to school and support their families. The association has Mrs Gladys Afegereh as President, Mrs Angela Korug, Vice President, Mrs Constance Tampaya, Secretary, Mrs Diana Azuyine, Assistant Secretary, Ms Adisa Bukari, Organizing Secretary and Mrs Princila Agambire, Treasurer. 04 Dec. 08