The Assembly Member for Soe-Yipaala Electoral Area in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Dr. Justice Aduko, has collaborated with the Bolgatanga Chapter of the CAMFED Association to empower over 100 women.
As part of the empowerment drive, the women were trained to make liquid soap, shower gel, fabric softener, and shampoo. The training was part of events to mark International Women’s Day, which falls on March 8 every year.
Poor household income levels in many parts of Ghana have often left many women struggling, which has prompted the Assembly Member and the CAMA Association to equip the women with livelihood skills.
Speaking in an interview with the media, the CAMA Association Chairperson for Bolgatanga, Madonna Kuuniaba explained that the training is to give the women the opportunity to make these for household use and commercial purposes.
She adds that it is important for women to be empowered economically through education and other skills to be self-reliant.
“It’s International Women’s Day and we also work in our various communities, and we are very much interested in partnership so, together with the assemblyman for this particular electoral area, he came to us, and then we kept hands together and saw how we can come and help our mothers and our sisters here. It’s free training.
I hope that after this training, they will put it to good use to help themselves and their homes,” she said
The Assembly Member for Soe-Yipaala, Dr. Justice Aduko, noted that women play a crucial role in community development, given their caregiving role, hence the training on soap making to help them with a source of income.
He explained that the training brought members of six groups that would be provided the needed materials to further train other members of the groups.
According to Dr. Aduko, the women would subsequently be supported to improve on the packaging once they venture into production. He believed that the empowerment of women brings about social change.
“You know, women play a very crucial role in community development. They are there as caregivers. They are people who, when they are empowered economically at the house level, will be able to bring a lot of positive change and impact on community development. So, having their welfare and empowerment at heart, I decided to bring this initiative to help train them on some of the skills. That’s soap making. Because soap is something that most or every woman or every household uses.” He stated.
The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the organizers, adding that the training was beneficial to them. They indicated their desire to make judicious use of the knowledge gained.
