Vice-President Launches Kayayei Empowerment Programme to Empower Female Head Porters
An initiative dedicated to empower a total of 5000 female head porters and offer transitional job pathways and enhance their socio-economic status has been launched in Accra.
Accra, May 21, 2024 – The Vice-President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has launched the Kayayei Empowerment Programme, aimed at empowering female head porters across the country through Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
The programme, which was launched in Accra, also saw the inauguration of two newly built hostels in Madina and Ashaiman to accommodate the participants. The Vice-President emphasized that the programme is designed to provide holistic and sustainable economic empowerment to the “resilient” young women.
The programme will provide training in essential modules such as baking and beading, supplemented by soft skills training in personal health care, financial management, and entrepreneurial acumen. Additionally, the programme will provide post-training support and implementation of a track and trace model to ensure that beneficiaries do not return to being head porters.
The launch of the programme was made possible through collaborative efforts between government agencies, private enterprises, and civil society organizations. The programme is expected to benefit over 5,000 head porters across the country.
Dr. Bawumia described the programme as a cause close to his heart, saying it addresses the plight of a marginalized segment of society. He emphasized that the government’s commitment to ongoing support is buttressed by a robust framework of continuous monitoring and evaluation.
The programme is not only expected to provide decent accommodation and equip the women with vital skills but also to change the narrative of the challenges faced by female head porters, including lack of shelter, maltreatment, harassment, depression, poor medical care, and inadequate child support system.
The launch of the programme marks a significant milestone in the effort of the government to provide safe and dignified housing and skills training for kayayei who have come into the cities in search of better economic opportunities.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Titus Nii Kwartei Glover, praised the government’s commitment to providing safe and dignified housing and skills training for kayayei. The Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), Naa Torshie Addo, indicated that the programme will provide decent accommodation and equip the women with vital skills enabling them to secure dignified jobs and support their families.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Kofi Baah Agyapong, highlighted some of the challenges faced by female head porters but emphasized that the launch of the programme marks a huge step forward to change that narrative.
