On Friday, December 4, 2020, UNFPA Ghana organised the Kayayei Assistance Project (KASPRO) expo, aimed at showcasing the benefits of investing into the lives of women especially Kayayei (head porters).
The KASPO Expo was hosted to celebrate the skills and knowledge that the Kayayei have acquired by virtue of the project as the project comes to an end.
They were given skills training in soap making, bakery, bead making, yoghurt making, shea butter making among others. This was to equip them to become independent to start a business when they returned to the North after the end of the project.
KASPRO was designed to demonstrate effective, workable approaches in addressing the dynamics and needs of Vulnerable Populations, specifically the Kayayei during and after a humanitarian crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through the project, a cohort of 500 Kayayei women have been provided with sexual and reproductive health education as well as sexual and gender-based violence information, nourishment and essential items such as hygiene products, face masks and hand sanitizers.
The event also brought together key stakeholders to discuss avenues to support the Kayayei and improve their wellbeing and livelihoods even after the KASPO project ends.
Claudia Lumor, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador (Ghana) encouraged corporate entities to keep supporting UNFPA projects and expressed her gratitude to the UN for their support.
“I want to thank the UN for supporting UNFPA and all partners for coming under one umbrella and focusing on something that touches the soul of our country, the women and young girls,” she said.
The KASPO Expo took place at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly at Tema Station.
