The paramount queen mother (2nd left) with some of the beneficiaries
The Nana Abena Kunadjoah II Foundation at Damang in collaboration with Gold Fields Ghana Foundation has organised a community women empowerment programme for some selected women in the area.
The move was an initiative of the queen mother of Wassa Fiase Traditional Council in the Western Region, Nana Abena Kunadjoah II, who is also the originator of the Kunadjoah Foundation.
The empowerment programme, which was held under the theme: “Empowering Women with Skills for Better Living”, was to offer vocational skills to the unemployed women in the area.
The 40 beneficiaries were drawn from communities within which the Gold Fields Ghana Limited operates.
The company’s Regional Manager in charge of Sustainable Development Projects, Razak Yakubu, said Gold Fields Ghana Limited decided to offer a helping hand after the queen mother brought a proposal to provide vocational skills to the women in the area.
He said the company would provide support to the women who decide to work with the skills acquired by giving them startup capital.
The queen mother of Wassa Fiase, Nana Abena Kunadjoah II stated that the foundation, set up about two years ago, is helping to reduce unemployment among the women in the area.
“We started the training workshop for women in the communities just this year and this is the second time we are organising it,” she explained.
She indicated that similar workshops would be organised in all the nine districts under the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area to help reduce unemployment among the women.
“We do not train the women in one particular skill, but we provide them various skill sets, including branding for easy marketing of their products.
“It is going to be a yearly programme and we will continue to follow up on participants to see how best they are implementing the skills towards improving their lives,” the queen mother noted.
She pleaded with other mining companies in the area to support the foundation to expand on its activities.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Damang