District assemblies asked to support rural women

Ejura (Ash), Nov. 30, GNA - Nana Akua Tiwaa II, Queen Mother of Ejura, has called on District Assemblies to support rural women with enough financial assistance to improve on their economic activities. She said women particularly in the rural areas, were doing all they could to be self-reliant and to be able to support their families but due to lack of financial support they kept on marking time in their developmental efforts.

Nana Tiwaa was speaking at a four-day training workshop on soap and pomade making, organized by Ejura Youth Health Organisation, a local non-governmental organization (NGO) at Ejura at the weekend.

The participants, including the Queen Mother, were also taught entrepreneurial skills and how to prevent HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

The Queen Mother said she decided to participate in the workshop not only to acquire a skill in the production of soap and pomade but also to impart the knowledge to "young girls who roam about without employable skills".

She urged the participants to settle down and start some businesses so that they can help to reduce poverty and armed robbery in the area. Mr Philip Addae, Director of the Ejura Youth Health Organisation, called on the participants to produce quality products so that they can win the confidence of the consuming public to appreciate locally produced goods.

Mr Osei Kuffour, Ghana AIDS Commission Focal Person in the Ejura-Sekyedumase district, urged the participants to refrain from promiscuous life, saying it could lead them to acquire AIDS virus. Miss Philomena Lartey, Head of the Business Advisory Centre (BAC) of the National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI) in the district, asked them to take proper accounts of their business. She said her outfit was prepared to assist them with more entrepreneurial skills and asked them to form co-operatives so that they can source for funds from financial institutions to establish their economic activities.