A staff of West Blue (3rd left) in a picture with some of the ‘kayayei’ receiving support
Several persons, mostly comprising of women and children who make a living by carrying loads at market centres for a fee, have been given support by way of healthcare and vocational training, courtesy West Blue Consulting Limited.
The beneficiaries, per the work they do, are commonly referred to as ‘kayayei’, a Ghanaian slang which describes females who have emigrated from rural parts of the country to urban centres and end up working as cargo carriers with no befitting places of abode.
West Blue, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CRS), has provided funding to support the establishment of Kumasi Kejetia Kayayei Resettlement Centre & Clinic.
The facility is located in the heart of the Kejetia market in Kumasi, and has a clinic facility, an anti human-trafficking unit, a marriage redress and counselling centre and a data report unit.
The anti human-trafficking unit is expected to help in tracking kayayei-child traffickers, while the marriage redress centre would address marriage grievance for the ‘kayayei’ and Kejetia market women in general.
In Accra, West Blue has also provided funding to build a shelter for some’ kayayei’ at Nima-Mamobi markets and also set up a vocational centre in the area to train about 20 ‘kayayei’ in dress making.
“Giving the youth vocational training is important towards harnessing their potential for the socio-economic development of the nation,” Valentina Mintah, Chief Executive Officer of West Blue Consulting, explained.
She said the future of every developing nation depends on the kind of care given to girls and young women and that the vocational centre is to equip the disadvantaged girls in the Mamobi area in dressmaking and other vocational skills to make them economically independent.
According to the West Blue CEO, proper care would breed good and worthy citizens, whilst neglect of the girls would be disastrous for the nation.
She said supporting ‘kayayei’ is an important step towards developing the economy of the country by integrating them into mainstream activities.
Ms Mintah suggested that there should be an effective public-private partnership to work out viable programmes to address the challenge of ‘kayayei’ and its attendant problems, especially the abuse they suffer as girls in the hands of unscrupulous persons.
West Blue Consulting Limited is a Ghanaian-owned business & IT-consulting and technology firm.
The company is providing the support through the Pamela Bridgewater project, a proactive campaign to provide future, education and proper welfare to ‘kayayei’ across the country.