Accra, April 7, GNA - The Spanish government is assisting the women of Tutu-Akwapim with the construction of a brick factory soon to be opened. Spanish Ambassador, Mrs. Julia Olmo will lay the first block for the project which will initially cover 16 local women who are expected to own and run it in a cooperative way assisted by the Regional Co-cooperative Department.

A statement from the Spanish Embassy in Ghana said the number of women would increased to 32 in the second phase of the project aimed at providing a better livelihood for several families in the community and also to improve living conditions in the area by supplying fired clay bricks at the same costs of cement blocks.

"The construction of fired clay products is traditional in Spain because it is proved that burnt clay products have the greatest thermal behaviour and resist strong heat and even fire better than any other material." They have the strength of a stone, a better resistance against biological agents such as termites, warms or bacteria than any timber work, and they prevent buildings from hard water damages that may occur during the rainy season, the statement added. Spain will support the project with three technicians, two Architects and a Community Organizer at the Akwapim Hills during six months to set up the programme, to help build the necessary facilities and help the co-operative start the business. The Spanish NGO Sunrise Africa, together with the Tutu-Akwapim based Trinity Home Foundation, are the organizations promoting and managing the project.