The Development Research and Advocacy Centre (DRAC) has trained people affected by leprosy and elephantiasis, their caregivers and other vulnerable residents in liquid soap production as part of efforts to provide them with sustainable sources of income.
The training, held Friday, August 7, 2026, in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region, is intended to equip beneficiaries with practical livelihood skills while helping them earn income to meet their basic and healthcare needs.
Martina Ajene Nsomah, accounts officer at DRAC, said the intervention was designed to reduce the financial difficulties faced by people affected by the conditions, some of whom have experienced neglect from their families and communities.
“The initiative was brought to establish a sustainable income for the people living with these diseases and to also help them get money to buy their drugs,” she said.
Ms. Nsomah said DRAC has worked with the beneficiaries for the past two years and implemented several interventions aimed at improving their health and general well-being.
The organisation has provided a borehole to improve access to water and conducted education on personal hygiene and healthy living.
According to Ms. Nsomah, the liquid soap-making training provides beneficiaries with a practical skill they can use to establish small businesses and generate income.
Hetty Atongo, a senior nursing officer and public health nurse at the Tongo Sub-District in charge of the Baare CHPS area, used the training to call for an end to the stigma and social exclusion experienced by people affected by leprosy.
“The disease is not contagious, but people are afraid to get closer to them. It is not supposed to be so. People should bring them closer and take good care of them,” she said.
Ms. Atongo urged families and communities to provide affected people with the care and support they need, saying neglect could expose them to additional health complications.
“We have to take good care of them so that they don’t get additional sickness and so that their legs do not get sores and become infected,” she added.
She commended DARC for combining health education with livelihood support to improve the lives of people affected by leprosy and elephantiasis.
As part of the programme, Ms. Atongo also educated participants on HIV prevention and distributed HIV self-test kits. Participants were encouraged to test themselves and seek further medical attention at the nearest health facility if they received a positive result.
DRAC hopes the livelihood intervention will enable beneficiaries to generate income independently while contributing to efforts to reduce the stigma, neglect and economic vulnerability experienced by people affected by leprosy and elephantiasis.
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