The CSIR-SARI has trained about 300 women in three communities in the Upper West Region in livelihood skills to enhance their income-generating opportunities. The beneficiaries, from Pieng in the Sissala East Municipality, Doggoh and Dazuuri in the Jirapa Municipality, were trained in household detergent and cosmetics production. This formed part of the Sahelian Landscapes: A Land of Opportunities (LOGMe II) project being implemented by a consortium of organisations, including the CSIR-SARI.
The two-day training was focused on the project’s Activity Three, aimed at promoting value addition to shea products while providing alternative livelihoods to women and girls. The training covered the production of caked and liquid soap and cream from shea-butter and moringa for hair and body. The beneficiaries received hands-on practical training and were provided with the necessary start-up materials and equipment to enable them to begin production in their communities.
Dr Iddrisu Yahaya, Head of Department of the CSIR-SARI, Wa Station, said the initiative was intended to shift the attention of women and girls from activities that could destroy the vegetative cover. He explained that the women and girls are involved in wood and charcoal burning, and the training aimed to provide them with alternative livelihoods. The project sought to promote agroforestry as a climate-smart and income-generating agricultural practice.
The LOGMe II project is being implemented in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in the Upper East and Upper West Regions. The project is being implemented in seven communities in the Upper East Region and seven communities in the Upper West Region. A similar intervention had been implemented in the Upper East Region, where about 400 women in two communities received the training.
Dr Yahaya said measures had been put in place to ensure the sustainability of the intervention, including encouraging the participants to work in groups. The production equipment, which would be shared, would be rented by the groups, with proceeds from the rent used to maintain them and could also be used to purchase additional machines. This would enable the women to continue producing and selling their products.
Some beneficiaries who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Doggoh expressed appreciation to CSIR-SARI and its partners for the intervention. Madam Cecilia Zupoge Bellingtaa, a beneficiary from Doggoh, said the training was an alternative source of income for her to support the education and healthcare needs of her children without relying on charcoal production and selling.
The beneficiaries can now produce household detergent and cosmetics, including shea butter pomade and moringa soap. The training has provided them with the skills and equipment to start their own businesses and improve their livelihoods. The project aims to promote sustainable livelihoods and reduce the reliance on activities that harm the environment.
Key points
- The CSIR-SARI trained 300 women in the Upper West Region in livelihood skills to enhance their income-generating opportunities.
