The Widows and Orphans Movement (WOM), a Non-governmental organization has trained 20 women on soap making and business management skills in Pusunamongo in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region.

The trainees, were drawn from five groups in Bongo and Kassena-Nankana West districts ,aimed at equiping them with skills on Business management and how to develop their products for improved patronage.

The three-day intensive training was funded by Water Aid, Ghana under it’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) for public health project with object of providing communities especially marginalized groups with clean water, decent toilet facilities and hygiene services.

The soap and detergent making training was also part of efforts to improve women’s economic wellbeing and living standards in communities they hail from.

Mr Jonathan Adanigna Alataaba, the Project Officer of WOM, in charge of WASH for Public Health, in an interview at the sidelines of the training said the skills development exercise was in response to requests from the beneficiaries to help equip them with skills that would enable them to earn income to improve their livelihoods.

He noted that, lack of sustainable vocational skills among women in rural areas compounded their poverty levels, hence, the initiative would be an additional economic opportunity in addition to their farming activities.

Mr Alataaba said aside the economic benefits of the soap making training for the women, the skills learnt would also promote hygienic living conditions among households and members of the communities.

The Project officer said one major problem women faced after undergoing livelihood empowerment skills training was start-up capital and therefore his organization (WOM)considered it important to include start-up kits for the trainees to immediately go into the soap making business.

He advised the trainees to pass on the skills to other women in their communities who had not had such opportunities to learn a trade to enable themto improve on their economic status.

Mrs Linda Atiah, a beneficiary trainee from the Bongo District thanked WOM for the training and the start-up kits and said it would go a long way to help her start effectively.

“Entrepreneurial knowledge and skills were crucial and everyone need to acquire it since it could go a long way to positively impact on lives”. Mrs Atiah noted.

Madam Matilda Agamu, a 33-year old trainee from Kassena-Nankana West district who is also a seamstress tasked her colleague beneficiaries to make good use of the skills acquired to derive the needed benefit from it to contribute to the development of their communities.

Madam Agamu said the skill acquired would enable them to also contribute their quota to fight against the spread of convid-19 and added that a quality and yet affordable soap supply to the public was important in fighting the pandemic.