In Sefwi Wiawso Municipal, the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) supports 12 cocoa growing communities, with Child Centred Community Development interventions to increase child protection and empower women. Economic opportunities for women are limited to activities such as farming, , soap making, hairdressing, rural craft and petty trading.
ICI, through its livelihoods support activities, has assisted in training 30 women from Anglo in soap making. The support was borne out of the need to strengthen the capacity of these women to support their households with an additional livelihood and to increase their income to provide the basic needs of their children. The 30 women were taken through 5 days of intensive training in liquid and solid soap making as well as detergents.
Additionally, ICI provided the women with capital and materials to start up their own businesses.
Four months after their inauguration, Elizabeth Baidoo, one of the beneficiaries, claims she produces 100 pieces of soap and sells each for GHS 2.00 (50 cents). She supplies some to customers in her community and others from satellite villages. The income she receives from the sale of her soap making business is used to provide basic educational needs for her children to help keep them in school.
ICI’s National Coordinator, Avril Kudzi, believes focusing on women’s economic empowerment can increase household income which can result in improved child protection. This is reflected in women’s contribution to household welfare.