POWER Project Trains 6,277 Women in Five Regions

The   Promoting Opportunities for Women Empowerment and Rights (POWER) project, aimed at empowering vulnerable rural women in five regions of Ghana and to influence their ability to control their income has begun yielding positive results. 

In all, six thousand Two hundred and 77 women have received training and put in groups and are participating actively in their economic activities to better their living standards. 

This was disclosed at a day’s mid-term dissemination workshop held in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region. 

The five year project being implemented by Action Aid Ghana (AAG), an advocacy Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with funding support from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, begun implementation in 2016 in five regions including Volta, Brong-Ahafo, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions. 

It was also aimed at empowering more rural women to practice climate resilient sustainable agriculture, access to markets and other productive resources.

In an interview with GBConline, the Documentation, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the POWER, Ms Priscilla Asangalisah, explained that, the initial  aim of the project was to empower 6,000 vulnerable rural women and influence their ability to control their income by practicing climate resilient sustainable agriculture, access to markets and other productive resources.  

Ms. Asangalisah said the research indicated that, the 6277 women exceeding the initial of 6,000 women targeted by the project while 93 percent of the targeted women reported increased skills and are now confidence in demanding for their rights and reporting cases of violence, which is more than the 70 percent set target. 

The Documentation Officer who indicated further that  the project seeks to promote economic livelihood opportunities for women and to advocate for reduction and redistribution of work burden particularly Unpaid Care Work (UCW)   on women,  stated that  the findings   revealed that many  households, communities and other stakeholders had now placed high  premium on  Women’s UCW and in some cases UCW  redistributed. 

In the area of access and control of resources by women particularly land to undertake agriculture activities as well as women actively participating in local government activities recorded 48 percent and 55 percent instead of the targets of 50 percent and 60 percent expected to be achieved at the end of the project in 2020. 

The report stated that in some communities, due to the project, childcare centers were built where women   could leave their children there and have ample time to carry out their farming activities to generate income for their households. 

Whilst indicating  that the research was necessary because it would enable the project  to identify challenges confronting it  and  to find ways  of addressing the challenges, the Documentation Officer  said it  would also  enable the project  to measures its  achievements so as to enable them device measures to sustain the gains made. 

The report stated further that, in some communities, due to the project, childcare centers were built where women could leave their children there and have ample time to carry out their farming activities to generate income for their households.

UE/R Girls Model JHS Commissioned at Pusiga by ActionAid

The concept of Girls Model Junior High Schools which was mooted in 2016 across the country has received another boost, as a three unit classroom block with its ancillary facilities has been commissioned and handed over by Action Aid Ghana to the District Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES), at Pusiga, Bawku in the Upper East Region.

 

The Three Unit Classroom Block fully furnished, with a Library stocked with books was constructed by Action Aid Ghana at a total cost of Two hundred and thirty-seven thousand Ghana cedis (GHC 237.000). 

It has a mechanized Borehole with 1000 liters capacity water tank mounted, a Urinal and six setter place of convenient and a changing room with sanitary pads for the girls. 

The Programmes Manager Action Aid Ghana Ahlassan Sulemana

In an interview with Radio Ghana, the Programme Manager Alhassna Sule indicated that, Action Aid believes that when the girl child is empowered, the whole society stands to gain hence, in all their educational interventions girls are given much attention to see how best they can be supported to overcome the few challenges they encounter as a results of the patriarchal society.  

He stated further that, anything that will hinder girls’ education from attaining greater heights in their future, have always been Action Aid concern. 

In her welcome address, the Headmistress of the school Madam Monica Mbatiig Poanaba said, Pusiga Girls Model JHS was established in 2016 with three teachers and six students along three other model schools, Binduri, Nabdam and Fumbisi Girls Model schools in the Upper East Region, with thirty pieces of mono desk from the Ghana Education Service (GES).  

She added that the current student population stands at sixty (60) with nine teachers made up of four females and five males. Mad. Mbatiig commended citizens of Pusiga in America, through the District Assembly donated One hundred pieces of dual desk to the school. 

She however lauded the efforts of Parents for assisting the school with teaching and learning materials. 

The Headmistress emphasized that, Pusiga Girls Model School’s vision is to empower the girl child to become positive, creative, innovative and inspirational leaders in future, through hard work and determination in a secure environment. 

The mission is to promote a culture of equal rights for educational excellence within a caring and secure environment with the values of discipline, mutual care respect for all levels in society. She was grateful to the Chief of Pusiga Naba Ayumah Aquak Ibrahim for the release of land for the construction of the school. 

A representative who spoke on behalf of the Pusiga Chief Azorang Alentis thanked Action Aid Ghana for their kind gesture and urged all stakeholders to ensure that the facility is taken proper care of, to serve its purpose efficiently. 

The District Director of Education Pusiga Madam Lydia Issaka charge the students to take their studies seriously as the enabling environment is provided, to become the prominent personalities of the future. She stated that women constituted the majority and has a lot of talents to offer for the development of mother Ghana. 

The sod cutting by the Hon District chief Executive Zubero Abdulai

A sod was later cut jointly by the District Chief Executive of Puisge Hon Zubero Abdulai and the District Director of Education to officially commission and handover the facility.