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Plan International Ghana in partnership with Women’s Haven Africa have provided business development, financial management and vocational skills training to 50 women between the ages of 18 to 35 in the Ashanti region whose businesses were affected by covid- 19.
The beneficiaries are those who were living hand to mouth and were not having sustainable businesses and had their businesses collapsed or almost collapsed during the lock down.
Certificates and start up packs were given to the trainers to start their own businesses after their 6 months skill training at Women’s Haven Africa in Kumasi in the area of sanitizers, wigs, beads, liquid soups and detergents.
Adwoa Fosua Owusu Ofori, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Women’s Haven Africa, in an interview with DAILY GUIDE at the graduation said, her foundation was established to fill the gender gap after realizing that women were lacking behind when it comes to technology, entrepreneurship and leadership, hence there was the need to create that space for women and bring resources that they need to be able to grow and develop them (women) in whatever areas they find themselves.
She said that Women’s Haven Africa is a female Tech and Innovation Hub that seeks to increase the participation of women in entrepreneurship, technology and leadership.
With a lot of applicants applying, these women were selected after they were accessed by juries and found to have been hit heavily by the impact of Covid-19 during the lockdown.
”A lot of mother-like in Kumasi who were living hand to mouth and were not having sustainable businesses were hit hard by the covid-19 pandemic, with most of them having their businesses almost collapsing and some actually collapsed. So we identified 50 of these mother-likes and provided them with these skills so that we can equip them with businesses management skills, financial management and then they can also acquire some skills, “she said.
Women’s Havens Africa, she added will continue to support women, empower women through diverse ways to push them through the leadership ladder.
She thanked Global Affairs Canada for funding the project.
For her part, Mrs. Esther Apraku Nyarko, Metro Director at Social Welfare and Community Development, speaking on theme; Building resilient women business and creating opportunities for sustainable livelihoods, observed that most women in businesses or petty trading do not build resilient businesses that will enable them to stand in times of storms or bad weather because most of them deal in perishable goods and items that make them to go to the market every day for these items.
She urged them to put into practice the training and the skills that they have undergone to enable them use it in the businesses and earn income and to be able to sustain themselves, become self-sufficient and independent to be able to take care of their children , provide good training for the children and as well as acquire properties.
“Many women believe that what they earn are for cooking and because of this they fail to save or invest but through this skills training and practical works, they have been taught in all the financial management skills”, she said
She posited that with what they have learnt, they will be able to earn income, save, invest, create worth and get properties to be able to take care of their children and family as well as the society and contribute their quota to development of the nation.
By : David Afum -Daily Guide Kumasi
