By Albert Futukpor, GNA
Tamale, Sept 04, GNA – CSD Reform in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has equipped more than 80 women, youth and other vulnerable persons in the Lewuniyiri Community in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District with practical vocational skills to improve their livelihoods.
The beneficiaries, who included persons with physical challenges (PPCs) and other vulnerable groups, received hands-on training in soap making, shea value addition, dairy processing, confectionery making and soya milk production.
The training formed part of the Promoting Rural Opportunities for the Vulnerable and Excluded (PROVE) for Sustainable Development in Lewuniyiri project, which is being implemented under the UNDP Governance, Rule of Law and Peacebuilding for Sustainable Development Flagship Programme.
It is funded by the Governments of Denmark, Luxembourg and the Republic of Korea.
It seeks to strengthen climate-resilient livelihoods, economic inclusion and social cohesion in the community while addressing challenges including limited livelihood opportunities, climate-related pressures and weak market access.
Madam Jamila Salifu of Jamila Future Hope Enterprise, a local skills training centre in the district, facilitated the training using a practical approach that enabled participants to observe demonstrations and immediately practice the various production techniques.
Participants were taken through key stages of production including accurate measurement, mixing, stirring, processing, packaging and finishing.
They also received guidance on hygiene, safety, quality control, branding, marketing and customer relations.
The facilitators built on participants’ existing knowledge, especially in shea processing, and focused on improved techniques and value addition to enhance the quality and marketability of their products.
The participants initially worked in two groups and took turns practicing the different production processes under the guidance of the facilitators.
The training also incorporated basic business management skills such as costing and pricing, record-keeping, teamwork and the management of employees and customers, to enable beneficiaries to transform their skills into sustainable micro-enterprises.
At the end of the training, the participants formed four groups of 20 members each and elected leaders to oversee continued production and enterprise development under the community brand; LEWURITENG NATURALS.
The training resulted in the production of a range of marketable products including liquid soap, washing powder, bar soap, shampoo, body lotion, shea butter, shea body lotion, pomade, wagashi (cheese), yoghurt, confectioneries and soya milk.
Some of the products were packaged under the LEWURITENG NATURALS brand, providing an initial platform for collective production, branding and market engagement.
The intervention also promoted collaboration among different groups within the community with dairy value addition using raw milk supplied by Fulbe participants thereby linking existing local livelihood resources with new value-added products.
The project also strengthened community ownership and social cohesion when the mixed-ethnic Project Management Committee (PMC) met to agree on practical arrangements for managing support items provided to the community.
The arrangements formed part of efforts to promote inclusive participation, shared responsibility and peaceful cooperation amongst the various groups at Lewuniyiri.
GNA
Edited by Eric K Amoh/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter’s email address: [email protected]