A Women-Friendly Solar Hub has been inaugurated at Voggu, a farming community in the Kumbungu District in the Northern Region, to improve rural women's access to business development services and support the growth of their enterprises.
The facility, equipped with computers, refrigerators, threshers, motor kings and other equipment, is expected to provide women entrepreneurs with access to business development support, market information, digital platforms and referral services.
It is being initiated by Plan International Ghana and Plan International Canada, in partnership with WIDO and Urbanet, with funding support from Global Affairs Canada.
The facility formed part of the Women's Innovation for Sustainable Enterprises (WISE) Project, implemented between January 2020 and March 2025 in 150 communities across five districts, aimed at promoting women's economic empowerment and sustainable livelihoods.
Inauguration
Inaugurating the facility, the Country Director of Plan International Ghana, Muniratu Issifu, said the facility was one of the organisation's significant investments aimed at addressing barriers that prevented women from fully participating in economic activities.
Some of the equipment displayed at the facility to support the women
She indicated that it would benefit about 60 communities in the Kumbungu and Tolon districts that participated in the WISE Project.
She explained that the project adopted a gender-transformative approach by supporting women entrepreneurs, engaging men and community leaders as allies, improving access to financial and business services, and strengthening networks to advance women's economic empowerment.
Ms Muniratu added that the hub would bridge the gap between rural women and economic opportunities by providing access to information, services and networks needed to grow their businesses.
She said the success of the facility would ultimately be measured by the number of women who accessed its services, the businesses that expanded and the opportunities it created within the community.
She, therefore, urged traditional leaders, community representatives and women entrepreneurs to take collective ownership of the facility and establish effective management and maintenance arrangements to ensure its sustainability.
Partnership strength
For his part, the Executive Director of Urbanet Ghana, Mohammed Jibreel Basit, said the facility demonstrated the strength of partnerships for sustainable development.
He said the WISE Project had empowered women in the Kumbungu and Tolon districts to become economically independent and contribute to meeting the needs of their households.
"Now the facility and equipment belong to the community because they cooperated very well during the implementation period," he said.
Support for women
The Kumbungu District Director of Agriculture, Abiba Musah, said the equipment would ease the burden on farmers and strengthen entrepreneurial activities in the district.
The Chief of the Voggu Traditional Area, Naa Sulemana Saaka, commended the organisation for selecting the community to benefit from the facility.
He said the hub would create opportunities for residents to generate income, access health care and education, expand their businesses and support their households.
He pledged his support towards ensuring that the facility and equipment were put to good use to achieve the intended purpose.
