Lawyer Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, NPP Member of Parliament for Prestrea Huni-Valley Constituency who also doubles as the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Art during the 2016 elections promised to set up a small loan scheme to empower women economically.

The scheme was under the Wassa Hemaa Foundation which was launched on the Saturday 1st of December 2018 with the Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana Her Excellency Samira Bawumia as a special guest.

Hon. Minister having seen the difficulties market women go through before they can access small loans from any financial institutions came with this innovative idea to give financial freedom to market women and also elevate them from poverty.

On the 8th and 10th of December 2018, the first batch of loan was disbursed.

Areas benefited include women from Prestea central Market, Bogoso night market and main Lorry station, Aboso market, Huni-Valley market and Damang market.

The coordinator for the programme, Mr. Samuel Blay who is also the Deputy Constituency Secretary of NPP gave the traders enough education as to how to fully utilize the money and its repayment plan.

On the 18th and 20th of March 2019, the second batch of the facility was also disbursed.

The beneficiaries include market women across the constituency. Here the beneficiaries were from Ten communities namely Bondye, Himan, Tarkwa Bremang, Kokoase/Adjeikrom, patepoem/Ayensukrom, Akotom/Kofi Gyan, Kurantin, Amoanda, Aboso and Wassa Nkran all in Prestea Huni Valley Municipality.

The traders were so thankful to Lawyer Barbara Oteng-Gyasi for delivering on her promise of making some capital available to market women.

The women also promised to fulfill their part by working hard with the loan to repay the money on time in other to be extended to other market women.

Some of the components under the Wassa Hemaa Foundation include; Good health care, Educational Support micro Loan Scheme, Good portable Drinking water for deprived communities among others.

In a related development, the Minister also promised to increase the seed money from One Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (Gh100,000.00) as and when the market women repay the loan and also advised them to take their business seriously.