SEDARVP-Ghana in collaboration with Run to Rescue Rural Communities (RRC) embarked on a capacity building project in the Kpanvo community to train women in basic liquid soap making techniques.
The purpose of the project was to educate the women on basic soap making skills so as to enable them strive for self-sufficiency.
The Sedarvp-Ghana team was led by Ms Rukaya, the officer in charge of volunteers for the organization. Other participants from Sedarvp-Ghana included Ms Hiba(Programs Coordinator) , Mr. Abdul-Wasir( Officer in charge of youth in Agriculture) Mr. Mohammed Shamsudeen, Mr Adams , and a number of Interns from University for Development Studies. Members from the partnering organization were also on the grounds to facilitate the process.
The colorful event which was marked by glee from community members promises long lasting benefits in the lives of the participants.
In the Northern parts of the Ghana, statistics have it that majority of rural community dwellers live below the poverty line. Further statistics from the UN in the catchment area reveal that these deprived communities have majority of its locals living under 5 USD daily. These figures are very disheartening as women and children are mostly the victims of poverty and deprivation. The project therefore was geared towards poverty alleviation and providing women in the community with soft skills in basic liquid soap making.
The women numbering about 70 were trained on how to arrange and mix chemicals in their right qualities, the use of protective clothing in the production process as well as packaging of the product for the market.
In the era when Covid-19 has become a new normal, the profitably of the venture will be unprecedented in that cleanliness is a major factor in controlling the virus which is done with a liquid soap and water. Banks, schools, hospitals and other places have installed veronica buckets and liquid soaps at vantage points. This further shows that the project will not only help to reduce germs related diseases and infections in the community such as diarrhea, cholera and typhoid, but will also serve as a source of livelihood for the community members especially women who were the focus of the exercise. The women were allowed to take turns in the production process so as to give them first-hand knowledge of the production process. In all 170 bottles were produced after the training which were then distributed amongst the women who participated in the exercise.
Story covered by Mr. Orlando Mba.
Ultimately, the exercise will have a lifelong snowballing impact on the participants both through improved personal hygiene and a source of lasting livelihood for them.