Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 26 May '99

Women's Resource Centre (WRC), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Kumasi, has started vocational training programmes for women porters, popularly called "paa-o-paa", in the Metropolis.

As a first step, the centre is training 10 "leaders" in soap making, who would teach their colleagues in various parts of the Metropolis the vocation.

Mr Philip Boodeme, Ashanti Regional Organiser, of the Centre, said dress- making and hair dressing would also be taught.

The Centre has also included sex education, particularly sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), HIV/AIDS and family planning.

Mr Boodeme, who was speaking to the Press in Kumasi said the idea of forming the WRC, was mooted by Womenkind International, a British NGO, which was moved by the plight of some women they saw carrying loads while they were returning from the northern region.

He said Womenkind International interacted with some of the women, who said if they had some kind of vocation, they would return to their towns and villages

Based upon this, another NGO, Action for the Development of the Disabled based in Tamale was tasked to undertake the preparatory work for the women to be given some form of vocational training.

Consequently, the WRC was set up to mobilise the porters for training.