| Regional Minister Praises Market Women |
 |
 |
 |
| Saturday, 24 March 2012 09:56 | |||
 Mark Woyongo (in smock) with the trainees He said the women’s hard working efforts are complementary to the responsibilities of their husbands in catering for their households and children’s needs including school fees. The Regional Minister gave the praise in an address at the climax of a four-day advocacy training workshop funded by the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge Fund (BUSAC Fund) for 30 members of the association at Navrongo in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality of the region. Mr Woyongo noted that many women like the members of the Weswonomodaga women’s group, have become breadwinners of their families pledging that government will make available to them any financial assistance they may need in order to expand their businesses. Touching on the advocacy training which equipped the women with the necessary lobbying skills to influence the Municipal Assembly and other stakeholders to rehabilitate and expand the Navrongo central market, Mr Woyongo said he had a few discussions with the municipal chief executive concerning a facelift for the market in question. The Regional Minister said after the completion of on-going construction works on the main lorry station in the Navrongo town, the assembly will focus on the construction plan of the market. He urged the women to register when the Electoral Commission begins the biometric voter registration but cautioned them against double registration. He also appealed to the women to persuade their husbands, brothers and children of the voting age not to indulge in any actions that will mar this year’s general elections scheduled for December. The Secretary of Weswonomodaga Market Women’s Cooperative Association, Madam Fati Aduni in a speech mentioned some challenges that serve as major obstacles impeding the progress of economic activities in the market. She noted that the few available stores have leaky roofs causing their wares such as maize, millet and others to go bad during the rainy season. She called on the Municipal Assembly to give urgent attention to the proper development of the Navrongo central market to improve their trading activities and at the same time increase the revenue base of the assembly. A BUSAC Business Service Provider, Mr Braimah Sanjage, whose efforts got the funding to train the market women revealed that about 25 per cent of the assembly’s internally generated funds comes from taxes and other levies paid by the market women, stressing that this is enough reason for the Municipal Assembly to respond positively to women’s request for the urgent rehabilitation and expansion of the Navrongo Central market. Mr Sanjage disclosed that the BUSAC Fund has released funding for the training of seven other associations including a group of physically challenged persons in the district with the Weswonomodaga Market Women’s Cooperative Association alone beneficiating from seven different activities including a research to be carried out on issues concerning the market and sensitisation of the research findings among others. BUSAC accredited trainers comprising Mr Ernest Aayel and Mr Joe Akanpatulsi took the market women through topics such as the concept of advocacy, why advocacy, effective advocacy and institutional competency which according to the trainers will put the group on the right footing to meet duty bearers for responses to their needs. Source: ISD (Peter Atogewe Wedam, Bolgatanga) Bookmark with:
|
| Other articles: |
|---|
|