Reverend Dr Joyce Aryee, the Executive Director of Salt and Light Ministry, has urged management of the Volta River Authority (VRA) to establish crèches at workplaces to boost worker’s morale, especially nursing mothers.

She said the establishment of a creche in the organization would help curb the incidence of depression among nursing mothers, who go through lots of challenges during their maternity stage, to enable them to work better.

She said this on Wednesday at the launch of 20th anniversary of the VRA Ladies Association in Accra on the theme “The New VRA, The Role of the VRA Lady”.

Rev Aryee said on-site childcare was a valuable resource for the working parent and that the cost of providing childcare for their employees was often off-set by productivity gains and improved confidence.

However, recognizing the impact of personal lives on the workplace forces employers to consider ways of satisfying the personal commitments of employees in order to promote workplace productivity.

When employees feel valued and appreciated, they work hard to standards more often than not because offering childcare shows staff, especially women, that they are valued enough, to deserve the convenience of having an on-site babysitter.

Rev Aryee said the economy of any country starts from pregnancy because they are the human resource of the nation, and that, there was the need to create a conducive childcare environment for their growth.

Touching on the theme, Rev Aryee, who is also a Board member of VRA, enjoined the ladies to contribute significantly to the vision and mission of the Authority in the world of competitive market for sustained development.

The Authority, as part of its strategic development, instituted a ‘BRAISE’ strategy, an acronym for build, to nurture and develop VRA’s human capital, restore its finances, advance internal and external business processes.

The strategy is to help improve operational and project implementation efficiencies, sustain VRA’s position as a market leader and ensure development in a sustainable manner.

She said the theme signified a renewed commitment by the association to be involved in the corporate change strategy, and strategize their energies to remain relevant in the market.

She urged the ladies to be ambassadors of change and adopt the right attitudes to make a difference in their field, contribute ideas and mentor others who lack understanding of the new VRA strategy and business plan.

The Reverend Minister encouraged the ladies to ensure their wards enrolled in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics programme to be relevant in the world’s emerging market.

Mr Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa, the Chief Executive Officer, VRA, said the Authority had remained the major power supplier in West Africa, increasing power supply by 200 per cent to Togo and Burkina Faso, among others.

He said the Authority would continue to put in strategies to be self-sufficient, improve finances and be a market leader with multi-income streams, expand business with increased asset utilization and be independent of government subvention.

Madam Gifty Twum-Ampofo, the Deputy Minister of Education commended the association for achievements chalked and urged the ladies to intensify their education on energy conservation for improved action.

She encouraged the staff to support management to implement the Authority’s strategy in an efficient and effective manner.

Ms Stella M. Dey, the President of the Association, said the Association was established among others to be ambassadors of the Authority and participate actively in public education programmes.

She said, as part of the anniversary, the association had donated to orphanages, support girl child education in schools within the company’s operations, organized health walk to educate the public on energy conservation and other social programmes.

Mr Bernard Kofi Ellis, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Services, VRA, launched a book titled “Energy Saving Guide” written by the ladies.

The book targets Ghanaians, especially children, on the need to conserve energy to save money.

Dr Stella Agyenim-Boateng, the Director of Human Resource, VRA, launched a training programme on women in development and leadership to empower the ladies to embrace the new strategy of the Authority.