Women in Engineering Ghana (WinE Ghana), a network of Ghanaian Women Engineering practitioners and student members within the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhiE), has presented a proposal to re-engineer markets in the country for the COVID-19 period and beyond.
The proposal was presented to the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah, with copies sent to the Minister for Local Government and the Minister for Gender and Children Affairs on Wednesday, April 22, 2020.
The WinE Ghana also presented baskets, nose masks, hand sanitisers and Veronica buckets for distribution to market women in selected markets of Accra, Kumasi and Tema.
According to the WinE Ghana President, Ing. Dr. Mrs. Enyonam Kpekpena, Women in Engineering Ghana added the locally made palm-branch baskets to their items because they find it very unpleasant to see food items meant for consumption on the ground at various markets.
“As we are all aware, marketplaces are the warehouses for refuelling our energy store at every home. They are also the most vulnerable place for transfer of the virus. It is based on this that WinE Ghana believes it’s time to do something in our own small way to protect our warehouses. We are aware the food that ends up on our tables comes from these markets, and the earlier interventions are put in place the better it will be for our collective health,” Ing. Dr. Kpekpena added.
Mad. Dapaah, receiving the proposal from the WinE President, said her ministry and the local government ministry as well as Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection will study the proposal and ensure it gets appropriate attention from government. She reiterated that everything about the existence of mankind is engineering; so, what Women in Engineering Ghana has presented to the ministry, as well as the proposal to re-engineer markets in the country, is a welcome idea. She expressed delight at seeing women actively involved in Engineering practice in the country, especially having a pioneer Ghanaian female engineer heading the Federation of African Engineering Organisations (FAEO) in the person of Ing. Carlien Bou-Chedid.
She insisted that social distancing and wearing nose masks are the best options to reduce spread of the virus, and urged all Ghanaians to comply with the president’s directives to the letter.
The Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Freda Prempeh, added that as COVID-19 is a collective fight, her ministry is happy Women in Engineering Ghana has come on board to help re-engineer our markets.
Those in attendance included the President of GhiE, Ing. Alexander Leslie Ayeh; President-Elect of the Federation of African Engineering Organisations (FAEO), Ing. Mrs. Carlien Bou-Chedid – who is also a Past President of GhiE; Ing. Harold Esseku, Vice-President of GhiE; some WinE Ghana members, and Chief Director of the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation.
