Twenty-five female head porters (kayayei) have graduated from a vocational and life skills training programme under a Kayayei Assistance Project (KASPRO), an initiative aimed at improving their livelihoods and reducing their vulnerability to exploitation.
Launched in 2020, KASPRO seeks to economically empower female head porters while reducing their exposure to poverty, violence and other forms of exploitation by creating pathways to decent and sustainable livelihoods.
The beneficiaries received training in painting, tiling, dressmaking, shoemaking and waste recycling in a year-long training programme that combined vocational skills development with education on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as well as the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
The participants received training on sexual and reproductive health, the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, protection against sexual exploitation and available support services for survivors of gender-based violence.
The project was implemented by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Ghana with support from Prudential Life Insurance Ghana in partnership with the Purim African Youth Development Platform (PAYDP) and Mckingtorch Africa.
Ceremony
At the graduation ceremony in Accra, the Country Representative of the UNFPA, Dr Wilfred Ochan, said the project sought to provide vulnerable young women with sustainable livelihood opportunities while equipping them with knowledge and skills to protect themselves against exploitation and abuse.
He said more than 2,000 female head porters had benefited from the initiative since its inception in 2020.
“KASPRO combines livelihood and life skills into a model that can inform government policies and programmes targeting vulnerable populations,” Dr Ochan said.
He said some of the women had ventured into painting and tiling, professions traditionally dominated by men, demonstrating that women could excel in non-traditional occupations when given the opportunity.
Remain determined
The Regional Liaison to the African Union (AU) for UNFPA, Rose Sarr, commended the graduates for taking steps to transform their lives.
She encouraged them to remain determined, pursue careers beyond occupations traditionally associated with women and continue supporting one another while standing up for their rights.
Beneficiary
Speaking on behalf of the graduates, Mabel Danwah-Leo, who trained as a tiler, said the programme had given her a profession that had transformed her life.
She said although she initially faced stereotypes because tiling was widely regarded as a male occupation, she remained committed to learning the trade and had proved her competence.
“Today, my master calls me to assist him whenever he gets huge jobs,” she said.
