The Second Lady of Ghana, Hajia Mrs. Samira Bawumia, has urged residents of Prestea-Huni Valley to make the most out of the interventions introduced by the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia led government, to better their lives.
Mrs Bawumia stressed the need to prioritise the economic empowerment of women. She noted, that transformation of our communities begin with women as "agents of change", in our homes.
She reiterated this, in a speech at the launch of the Obaapa Micro Loans Scheme instituted by the Member of Parliament for the area and Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Lawyer Mrs Barbara Oteng Gyasi, at Bogoso, in the Western Region.
"At the heart of every NPP government's policies, are the interest of women. The free SHS policy, the free Maternal Care Policy, among others, were designed, specifically, to absolve women from burden", She noted. According to Mrs. Bawumia, women bear the brunt of ill-taken economic decisions, at the national level, as such, they should be prime beneficiaries of every government intervention.
The Obaapa Micro Loans Scheme is a credit facility that has been set up under the Wassa Hemaa Foundation, in partnership with the Wassaman Rural Bank. The scheme is to assist traders in the Prestea-Huni Valley constituency with loan facilities to boost their businesses.
Addressing the gathering, the MP, Mrs Oteng Gyasi thanked her constituents for keeping faith with the Akufo-Addo government, in the first two years of its tenure. She highlighted the restoration of teacher/nursing trainee allowances, the employment of one hundred thousand (100,000) graduates under the NABCO policy, the reduction of utility tariffs, the free SHS policy, among other notable achievements of the NPP government.
According to the Deputy Minister, she had instituted this intervention to improve the living conditions of her constituents, particularly, the women who could not secure loans from the traditional banks due to huge collaterals. She, however, cautioned the traders against using the loan facility for non-profitable personal ventures, which will further impoverish them.
The Second Lady, also donated an amount of twenty thousand (20,000) as her contribution to the seed capital for the scheme. She lauded the project and encouraged beneficiaries to work diligently, in order to sustain the scheme.
On her part, Mrs Oteng Gyasi commended the Second Lady, for her commitment to empowering women in Ghana, through her not-for-profit organisation, Samira Empowerment and Humatarian Projects (SEHP)
Present at the launch were the Deputy Western Regional Minister, Hon. Mrs Gifty Kusi, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of MASLOC, Hajia Abibata Shani-Mahama, and the Deputy National Women Organizer of the New Patriotic Party, Hajia Saudatu.
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