The Global Shea Alliance (GSA), in partnership with the Shea Network Ghana (SNG), has supported the industry value operators with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other essentials to aid in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic at their various operational areas.
The women groups in the value chain have been identified as also being frontline Shea workers which needed the support to safeguard their welfare and lives, while contributing to the economic needs of their families and the country.
The gesture included Veronica buckets, packs of tissues, hand sanitisers, gallons of Shea liquid soaps and bathing soaps to some beneficiaries like WOM, ZLM, Maltiti Ventures, Kalvio Women, Timintatuma, Tiyumtaaba, Pagsung, Nongtaaba Shea butter processors, Yumzaa, Brallinom, Bole Shea Association, Ritadamps Ventures, Concern Universal and NOGCAF ventures.
The sponsors of the products were Naya Naturals, Solution Oasis, Ele Agbe Co. Ltd., Charles K. Boateng, Tiwajo Industries, GSA and SNG.
As part of its sustainability programmes, GSA has also partnered with SNG to advocate for adherence to the precautionary measures put in place by health experts to help safeguard members and citizens of the country in the midst of the pandemic period.
The Executive Council Member for GSA and Board Chairman of SNG, Prince Asante Obeng who presented the items on behalf of the organisations, noted that the gesture is to express love and care for each other as an industry.
He stressed the need for all to help sustain the industry that serves as a source of livelihood and jobs for the players, with the nation also generating some income from it.
National Coordinator for SNG, Mr. Iddi Zakaria, said the gesture’s aim was a means for the organisation to support the fight against COVID-19 at the local level, saying: “We are aware that some processes were ongoing with the members observing social distance protocols; and we also thought the women needed to be supported, especially the given case that we have cosmetic-based products that come from Shea and can also be used for sanitisers as well as other disease-fighting protocols”.
Rita Dampson of Ritadamps Venture, on behalf of the beneficiaries, commended GSA and SNG for thinking about the welfare of frontline women within the shea industry.
