Following a report on a1radioonline.com on a defunct Shea Butter Processing machine belonging to a widows association in Anateem, a community in the Bolgatanga municipality, TREE Africa, a Non Governmental Organization has come to the aid of the widows.
The group of women numbering about 70 has most members being widows and hence fending for themselves and children through shea butter production. The community is endowed with shea trees and is well known for its resourcefulness in the production of shea butter of which a greater percentage of the population is engaged in aside farming.
President of the Group Rebecca Atornyege told a1radioonline.com the group mobilized and communally built a structure to house a milling machine that was given to them by a donor organization Technoserve to aid them in the production of shea butter.
However, the equipment was rendered useless for several months after it broke down and needed repairs at a very high cost of one thousand Ghana cedis (Gh¢ 1,000.00) which they could not raise.
The donation by TREE Africa included a cash amount of Gh₵ 1,000 which is the amount needed for fixing the processing machine with some protective wear.
Speaking to a1radioonline.com after a brief ceremony to donate the items, Amooro Wilson, co-founder of the organization mentioned that his outfit was touched upon reading about the plight of the widows.
According to him, helping the widows was a way of touching the community in general and was optimistic the help will in turn provide them with income to support their families and also boost the rural economy of the area.
Zakia Penny, co-founder of TREE Africa noted that what the widows need is not just to fix the processing machine but rather sustaining their business.
She therefore mentioned that she and her colleagues will help provide a global market for the women in order to provide them with constant flow of income.
Leader of the widows, Rebecca Atornyege was full of praise for A1 radio for breaking the story about their plight and also to TREE Africa for coming to their aid.
She was optimistic that if the machine is put in shape, it will ameliorate the economic situation of some of the women who struggle to cater for their children.
TREE Africa is a social enterprise founded by Wilson Ayinbangya Amooro and Zakiya Penny-Amooro in 2014 and devoted to the growth and development of children and rural communities.
TREE is an acronym that stands for Transformation. Recycle. Education and Eco-Music. The organization uses Environmental/Recycling education and the power of African Classical Music to transform children and improving their overall well-being.
TREE Africa is one of the winners of Imagineghana contest in 2015 organized by UNICEF, European Union and Reach for Change.
By: Offei-Akoto Ayeh | A1RADIOONLINE.com | GHANA
