Rebecca Foundation Empowers Anglican Women with Soap Making Skills

Accra: The Rebecca Foundation, an organization founded by former First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has equipped some women and youth groups in the Accra Diocese of the Anglican Church with soap making skills as a means to support their livelihoods. The initiative involved 27 participants who took part in a week-long training session. These participants were drawn from various groups including the Mothers Union, Women Fellowship, and the Anglican Young People Association (AYPA) of St Peter's Anglican Church in Nungua, as well as from the Cathedral Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Accra. According to Ghana News Agency, during a graduation ceremony held in Accra, Mrs. Akufo-Addo emphasized the significance of the training program, noting it was her first formal event since leaving office as First Lady. She highlighted the importance of the skills development program, stating that it was a way of empowering women and supporting them with sustainable livelihood opportunities. Mrs. Akufo-Addo encouraged the p articipants to pass on the skills they acquired to their peers, enabling them to make a living from soap making. The training, which is set to be extended to other churches, was facilitated by Madam Afua Agyemang, CEO of EFYKLO Ventures. She expressed gratitude for the longstanding partnership with Mrs. Akufo-Addo and the Rebecca Foundation, which has been ongoing even before Mrs. Akufo-Addo's tenure as First Lady. The trainees learned how to make various products such as liquid hand-washing soap, tablet and laundry soap, bleach, and afterwash or clothes softeners. Representatives of the trainees, including Madam Leanier A.O. Addy and Madam Nancy Armah Danso, expressed their gratitude to Mrs. Akufo-Addo and the Foundation for the fully funded training program. They noted the significant impact the training has had on their lives, providing them with meaningful skills to create livelihoods. The Very Reverend Samuel Lanquaye Lamptey, Dean of the Cathedral Church of the Most Holy Trinity, praised the Rebecca Foundation and Mrs. Akufo-Addo for their continued commitment to supporting women and children in Ghana. He encouraged the trainees to utilize their new skills for personal and community benefit. Madam Sheela Sakyi Oppong, Coordinator of the training for the Rebecca Foundation, explained that the initiative aimed to cushion women, particularly mothers, into gainful employment, enabling them to support their families. The trainees received certificates of participation and startup kits to help them establish their ventures and apply their newly acquired skills effectively.