Bongo (UER), June 23, GNA - Women in the Bongo District have benefited from a total amount of 147 million cedis in loans from the Bongo Area Development Programme (ADP) of World Vision, Ghana (WV) WV started giving women groups made up of 1,750 women the loans in 1998 to go into sheabutter extraction, petty trading, rice processing and basket and hat weaving.

Ms Benedicta Pealore, Manager of the Bongo ADP, said this when on Tuesday, she led the WV Desk Officer for West Africa, Ms Annette Schifferli to visit the various projects the women were running. Ms Pealore said the women had made a total profit of 94 million cedis, which they have ploughed back into their businesses to expand them and involve more women.

At Bongo-Soe where they visited a sheabutter extraction group, the women had made 52.6 million cedis from a loan of 27 million cedis. Ms Pealore said the WV had given the leaders of the groups training in finance management and group dynamics.

Ms Schifferli, who was on a working visit to Ghana to see the progress of the various projects of WV, commended the women for working hard and urged them to keep it up. The ADP also trained 16 women in batik and tie and dye making.

The Bongo Central Women made 52.6 million cedis from the 23 million cedis they borrowed; Adaboya and Beo had 44.6 and 32.8 million cedis from initial capital of 22.5 and 19.5 million cedis, respectively. Zorko Women made 36 million cedis from 20 million cedis while Balungu and Dua had 31.5 million cedis and 12 million cedis from loans of 18 million cedis and seven million cedis, respectively.