The ground-breaking activity
A gari processing factory in Techiman is set to employ over 500 persons when it is fully operational.
The sod was cut for the commencement of work on the factory at Mesidan near Techiman in the Bono East Region, last week.
The venture is being funded by a non-governmental organization, BOK Africa Concern, with support from the International Organization for Migration.
The Executive Director of BOK, Benson Osei –Savio Boateng during the ground breaking activity observed that when completed, the factory would provide employment to 500 youth from the area and therefore stem the tide of migration to Europe and elsewhere.
“Our youth who migrate to these countries are sometimes not even paid and often mistreated. With the factory fully operational we hope to employ more of them here,” he added.
He explained that the factory is as a result of interactions he held with elders and citizens of the community who agreed that because of the abundance of cassava—a basic raw material for the production of gari, the factory could be established in the area.
The chief of Mesidan, Nana Kwadwo Adu Twi Brempong II, said government alone could not provide jobs in the country hence the need for communities to take initiatives which would create jobs.
Nana Kwadwo charged the NGO and their partners to complete the project on time so that the youth could have something to do.
One of the youth, Kofi Duah, expressed appreciation to the organizations for the project and promised communal labour to expedite action on it.
danielyaodayee@yahoo.com
FROM Daniel Y Dayee/Prince Fiifi Yorke, Techiman