AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine, as part its community investment drive, has spent over GH¢18,000.00 to train 25 women in five communities within the Obuasi Municipality in soap making.
The women, drawn from Kokoteasua, Abompekrom, Dokyiwa, Binsere and Nhyieso were taken through three weeks of training in liquid and solid soap as well as other detergents making.
The company, apart from the training, provided the women with start-up materials to enable them to start their own businesses.
A total of 125 women from 15 communities would benefit from the training which would also offer beads, pastries and Tom- brown making among other things from August to December this year.
Nana Ampofo-Bekoe, Manager (Sustainability) of AngloGold Ashanti, said the programme was in line with the company’s core value of making the communities and the people better off than it came to meet.
“Even in the face of current production challenges we have a role to play as a good corporate citizen”, he said, adding “communities cannot always depend on the mine for employment hence the move to help community members to become self employed.”
He said the National Board for Small Scale Industries was its development partner in the training programme to give employable skills to the women.
Nana Ampofo-Bokoe commended the women for the enthusiasm and seriousness they displayed during the training and expressed the hope that the women would build on the investment to improve their lot.
Mr John Owusu,Head of Public Affairs, appealed to the women to work hard at their various communities to generate the capital needed to expand their businesses.
“It is the hope of AngloGold Ashanti that the three-week training in soap-making will enable you to fend for your families,” he said.
Mrs Grace Boateng, a participant from Kokoteasua, praised AngloGold Ashanti for the innovation which, she said, would position them in a better way to take care of their families.
Source: GNA