NGO trains grandmothers to grow businesses

Winneba (C/R) Aug. 23, GNA - Seventeen grandmothers in Winneba have received training on economic ventures to enable them to handle the financial challenges of their respective families successfully.

It was organised by 'The Helen Project' - a Virginia -based international charity organisation of the United States - under the theme: 'Grow Your Business', at Winneba.

The workshop forms part of the activities of the City of Charlottesville, USA, and the Winneba Sister-City programmes.

Dr. Dale Johnson, the Executive Director of the Project, said the objectives of the project were to empower African Grandmothers who were administering the affairs of orphans placed under their care.

The project is implemented in partnership with the Grandmothers in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa, she said.

'Since the project's inception in 2014 in Winneba, we have through our donations been able to assist grandmothers with interest free loans to help them initiate projects to make them self reliant,' she said.

Each of the 17 grandmothers was given 100 dollars and they are to re-pay within 12 months for others to benefit.

The Executive Director said the project started with five beneficiaries in Winneba, but now there were 33.

They are pursuing ventures such as the marketing of smoked fish, roasted plantains, cold water, Ghanaian fabrics, and catering.

Each of the beneficiaries is at liberty to re-apply for additional funding after honoring the terms and regulations pertaining to the loans they had received.

Mr. France A. Tagoe, the Effutu Municipal Chief Executive, expressed his appreciation to the NGO and promised that he would deploy some technical advisors to ensure that the beneficiaries had sustainable incomes.

GNA