To improve their business skills in the industry, some 10,000 female shea processors have received training in financial accounting.
Additionally, it will allow them to create a thorough database that will aid in their ability to acquire financing to expand their firm and produce goods that are up to standard.
The event is run under the Shea Business Empowerment Programme (SBEP) and was organised by the Global Shea Alliance (GSA) in collaboration with the MasterCard Foundation as part of the Young Africa Works Programme to instil in the women the necessity to create a database for their activities.
Tradeline Consult, an Accra-based company with offices in Malawi, undertook the training for the participants.
The event was also in partnership with Advans Ghana, Women for Change, the SOFTtribe, AgroCenta and GSA Sustainability Partners to help empower most of the rural women to alleviate poverty.
Managing Partner at Tradeline Consult, Forster Gomashie, said the firm partnered with the USAID-Mobilising Finance for Agriculture Project (MFA) to support SMEs – especially women in the soy, maize, Shea, mango, cashew, cowpea value chains.
“We therefore utilised the opportunity to concentrate in the Shea value chains to target working with 10,000 women. As part of the strategy to achieve the set goals, we encouraged partnerships to build the capacity of SME members, especially women in business management to access finance for their productivity,” he said.
Mr. Gomashie explained that the training was to equip the participants with finance and accounting skills, as well provide key solutions which were major problems for SMEs.
Some participants expressed gratitude for the support, saying the training was very practical and exposed their weaknesses in financial management.