CBPA-Ghana rolls out intervention to support vulnerable women, girls in Nkoranza

The Citizens Bureau of Public Accountability Ghana (CBPA-Ghana), a Non-Governmental Organisation, has launched an initiative to support vulnerable women and girls in the Nkoranza South Municipality of the Bono East Region by providing employable skills training to improve their socio-economic livelihoods.

As part of this initiative, the NGO held an engagement meeting with dressmakers, designers, beauticians, and hairdressers in the district to form partnerships. The goal is to identify and support needy but promising apprentices, ensuring they acquire the necessary skills for a sustainable livelihood.

The support provided by CBPA-Ghana will include sustainability allowances, learning essentials, examination and graduation fees, as well as start-up kits and capital for deserving graduates to establish their own businesses within their communities.

The engagement meeting, held in Nkoranza, was themed “CBPA-GHANA Partners with Trade Associations in the Bono East Region to Support Women and Girls in Apprenticeship for Social Inclusion and Livelihood.”

Mr. Mathias Segbefia, Executive Director of CBPA-Ghana, emphasized the NGO's vision to empower citizens with knowledge for sustainable socio-economic livelihoods.

“To build a better and sustainable society, there is a need to provide equal opportunities for both men and women, with a focus on the girl-child,” he stated, adding that creating such opportunities encourages progressive development.

“If you support or train a woman, you are effectively supporting a generation, but if you train a man, you achieve individual success,” Mr. Segbefia added.

He further highlighted that the contributions of master apprentices and instructors are vital to the success of the organisation's vision. He also indicated CBPA-Ghana's readiness to create opportunities for these instructors to upgrade their skills, enabling them to deliver high-quality training to their apprentices in local communities.

Mr. Francis Kongwie, the Organizer for the Professional Garment Makers Association, expressed his gratitude for the initiative, noting that it would help curb the rising teenage pregnancy rates in the Municipality.

He pointed out that many apprentices, due to a lack of family and financial support, often seek permission to engage in menial jobs to fund their training, which negatively affects their learning.

Some of these apprentices resort to hawking, dishwashing, and even commercial sex work to raise funds for their training.

The meeting was also attended by Mr. John Kudawe, a Volunteer Program Officer for CBPA-Ghana, as well as Madam Nana Martha Fofie, President of the Conservative Hairdresser’s Association, along with other instructors and master apprentices from various trades within the Municipality.