About 35 women at New Dokyiwa, a farming community in the Obuasi Municipality, have successfully completed the first in the series of vocational skills training programmes rolled out by AngloGold Ashanti and the Obuasi Municipal Assembly.
The women, who had already formed a cooperative known as ‘Dokyiwa Women’s Cooperative’ were trained in baking, confectionery and soap making with the aim of enhancing their prospects for sustainable income generation and economic empowerment.
The training session, which spanned a period of nine days, provided the women with essential knowledge and hands-on experience in the baking and soap making industries.
Speaking at the close-out session of the programme dubbed “Livelihood Enhancement Programme for Women”, Mr Daniel Arthur-Bentum, the Economic Development Superintendent of AngloGold Obausi Mine, said the programme was part AGA’s 10-year development plan to promote sustainable livelihoods within its host communities.
“We believe that empowering women is an essential step towards achieving that goal.”
He said with the training received, the women would be better placed to take charge of their own future and be economically independent.
Mr Arthur-Bentum further stressed that the training was held on the heels of a financial literacy training programme organised for female traditional leaders and vocational skills development projects in hair dressing, dressmaking and other skill areas to build the capacity of women in their host communities.
He said through the Obuasi Mine’s Enterprise and Skills Development Centre, the women who had successfully gone through the training would receive support in developing individual business plans and strategies to promote and sustain their businesses.
“We will support them with the Ghana Food and Drugs Authority’s approval processes including labelling of their products, good food manufacturing processes, registration and licensing “.
Mr Stephen Tecku, Obuasi Municipal Coordinating Director, said it had been the wish of every government to employ as many people as possible but that had been an uphill task, hence the need for the Assembly to leverage on its partnership with the private sector, including AngloGold Ashanti, to provide skills development training for the people.
He said the training was intended to empower the women economically and make them financially independent, stressing that, it was incumbent on them to put the training into good use by commercializing their products.
“The Assembly together with AGA is planning to establish you properly but that can only be done when you also commit yourselves into making good use of the training”, he stated.
Some of the beneficiaries, who spoke to the Media, lauded AngloGold Ashanti for the training.
They said they would put the training acquired to good use for the benefit of themselves and their families.
