Accra, Nov 15, GNA -The Rebecca Foundation, an organization founded by former First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has built the capacities of some women and youth groups in the Accra Diocese of the Anglican Church in soap making, as a means of livelihood for them.
The 27 participants who participated in the week-long training, were drawn from the Mothers Union, the Women Fellowship and the Anglican Young People Association (AYPA) of the St Peter’s Anglican Church in Nungua, and from the Cathedral Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Accra, among others.
At a graduation ceremony held on Friday, November 14 in Accra, Mrs Akufo-Addo said the training programme, the first in series to be rolled out, was also her first formal event since she left office as a first lady.
She said she was offering the skills development programme in her capacity as a woman, and a mother for other women as a means of supporting them with livelihood empowerment.
She said such skills as acquired by the women always stuck with people forever and so they should, in turn, train their peers to also acquire the skill and make a living out of them.
Mrs Akufo-Addo said the training would be taken to other churches for more women to also benefit from the opportunity.
Madam Afua Agyemang, CEO of EFYKLO Ventures, who served as the trainer and a resource person, mentioned that the trainees were trained in how to make liquid hand-washing soap, tablet and laundry soap, bleach, and afterwash or clothes softeners, and others.
She thanked Mrs Akufo-Addo for the partnership, which dated back even before she became a first lady some eight years ago, saying, she would always cherish the offer to partner the Foundation in training more Ghanaian women.
Madam Leanier A.O. Addy and Madam Nancy Armah Danso, representatives of the trainees, thanked Mrs Akufo-Addo and her Foundation for thinking of them and providing the entire funding, including transportation cost for the training programme.
Madam Danso said many of the women hitherto did not have any meaningful livelihoods and so the soap making training had come in handy, and that they appreciated the skills acquired very much.
Madam Addy on her part, said the training had really impacted on the lives of the women and were grateful to the former first lady for her continuous assistance to the marginalized, even after she had officially left the office of the first lady of Ghana.
The Very Reverend Samuel Lanquaye Lamptey, Dean of the Cathedral Church of the Most Holy Trinity, commended the Rebecca Foundation and Mrs Akufo-Addo for continuing her duty call of responding to the needs of women and children of Ghana.
He urged her to continue to be serviceable to society whether in or out of official office.
He also advised the trainees to use the skills acquired to make a living and to transfer the knowledge and skill to their children and other community members for ripple effects.
Madam Sheela Sakyi Oppong Coordinator of the training, Rebecca Foundation, said the training was to cushion the women and mothers especially, into gainful employment and livelihoods so they could earn a living and be able to take care of their children.
The trainees were presented with certificates of participation and startup kits to be able to establish themselves and apply their skills, and make a living out of it.
GNA
Edited by Lydia Kukua Asamoah