By Benjamin Akoto
Obuasi (Ash), June 06, GNA – The United States/Ghana Alumni Association (USGHAA), has equipped selected women in some mining communities with the requisite hands-on skills training for jobs to enhance their livelihoods.
The training formed part of the Association’s Women Empowerment Programme aimed at helping women to become economically self-dependent to curb the possibility of falling for the exploitation of men in their communities.
The participants, numbering about 50 were drawn from communities within the Obuasi municipality and were taken through tutorials on the safety and protection procedures, steps in the production stages and practical demonstrations.
They were put in groups to try their hands on the production of products, which included liquid soap, shower gel and after-wash.
The USGHAA is made up of Ghanaians from various academic and professional fields who had the opportunity to be on US-sponsored exchange programmes, with the aim of uniting as a community of active change agents to promote Excellence, Leadership, Innovation, Partnerships and Volunteering amongst themselves, within Ghana and the World.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Ken Afedzi, the Public Relations Secretary of USGHAA, explained that aside the negative effects that ‘galamsey’ activities had on the environment, it also affected the social impact of the people living in the affected communities.
He said socially, men engaged in such activities to exploit the women and girls in those communities through enticement with money.
Hence, Mr Afedzi said the USGHAA saw it prudent to empower women in such mining communities to equip them with valuable skills to earn living and make them self-reliant enough to check any abuse from such men.
He said the training programme was one of many projects implemented by the Association, including Leadership Training for Head teachers, Leadership and Literacy projects as well as setting up of ‘LiTT’ clubs in selected Senior High Schools across the country to bring positive changes into the communities.
In a related interview, Ms. Louisa Amoah, a facilitator at the training, explained that with as little as GHS 90.00, one could start the production of liquid soap and make a good profit from it.
She, therefore, urged the participants to capitalize on the knowledge offered them to improve their livelihoods.
Madam Elizabeth Assah, a participant said every woman was required to have skills and multiple works to cater for the home, saying “as a widow there is no support, so I see this training as a welcome opportunity to get an extra work to generate adequate funds to care for my family.”
GNA