MIHOSO International, a non-governmental organisation, has provided tools and equipment to 35 pregnant women and mothers with mental disabilities to go into livelihood economic activities to fend for themselves and their families.

The equipment comprised nine sewing machines, seven hair dryers, four refrigerators, soap production and bead making materials and detergents. Beneficiaries were selected from Berekum West District and Sunyani Municipality in Bono, Tano North in Ahafo and Nkoranza South in the Bono East Regions.

Speaking at a short presentation ceremony held in Sunyani, Mr Thomas Benarkuu, the Project Coordinator MIHOSO International, advised the beneficiaries to take good care of the items, and adopt the habit of savings to sustain and expand their economic activities.

He later told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) the assistance formed part of a project his NGO with support from UKAID through the Christian Blind Mission (CBM), another NGO was implementing in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions.

Titled “enhancing maternal mental health of 29,520 pregnant women and mothers and their children to realise maternal and child health in Ghana”, the three year project sought to influence knowledge and attitudes around maternal health, as well as reducing stigma and discrimination in the 18 project implementing communities.

It further sought to strengthen the capacity of existing facilities and community-based psychiatric health staff to deliver a care intervention for maternal mental health care model and improve access to quality and appropriate maternal and child health services to the targeted women and their children.

Mr Benarkuu said the assistance to beneficiaries was the last batch of charity package under the project, expected to end this year.

He expressed appreciation to the UKAID and CBM for their support saying the implementation of the project had impacted significantly and helped enhance the socio-economic livelihoods and total healthcare of beneficiaries and their respective communities.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Jemima Foriwaa, 37, a hairdresser at Koraso in Berekum West, thanked MIHOSO for the support saying it would greatly help her expand her hairdressing salon, and generate enough money to cater for her three children.

MIHOSO partners with international organisations that work to improve on the welfare of vulnerable people in society.