News
‘Dorcas Project’ receives skills training support
Eleven widows who belonged to a group known as “The Dorcas Project” from the Lapaz District of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, have received skills training in bread baking, pastries, soap and beads preparation in Accra.
The skills training which was held at the River Rose School, Tantra Hill, Accra, was aimed at empowering the beneficiaries, who belonged to the “The Dorcas Project” to become economically independent, concentrate on caring for their children, and stop thinking about the loss of their husbands.
Rev Mrs Nyuieme Adiepena, the National Women’s Programme Officer of the West Volta Women’s Fellowship (WVWF), who was In- charge of the programme, said in an interview with The Spectator that the training was facilitated by the All African Conference of Churches( AACC), Widows Fund .
She said the AACC was glad to sponsor the ” The Dorcas Project”, having considered the economic hardship members were going through.
Rev Adiepena said the sponsorship package included the equipment the trainees would work with, to eradicate the difficulty of mobilising capital to start on their own.
She was of the hope that the beneficiaries would take keen interest in the various skills they were taught and make maximum benefits out of them.
Rev Adiepena lauded the initiative of the stakeholders of ” The Dorcas Project,” adding that it would ease the burden of the beneficiaries.
The President of the West Volta Women’s Fellowship, Presbyter Mrs Naomi Jiagge, described the training as good since it would ease the burden of the women involved and assured that the fellowship would continue to pray for their success.
Ms Doris Ofori, one of the trainees said she and some of her colleagues had started preparing liquid soap for sale.
She intimated that they had planned to come together to bake bread for sale at affordable prices to school children when school re-opens, adding that they remained grateful to the facilitators of the programme.
History
“The Dorcas Project” was established in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in the Lapaz District of Accra by a group of stakeholders, led by Rev (Mrs) Davida Matti- Atakpah in June 2019.
It commenced with 10 widows and four widowers, with the aim of helping them to ease emotional and psychological pains endured , and stigmatisation they encountered as a result of some socio- cultural practices.
Rev Matti-Atakpah said she later discovered that some of them needed financial support to enable them to cater for their families and perform other social duties, hence the need to provide them with employable skills.
She was grateful to Rev Adiepena through whose initiative the group had acquired the support from the (AACC) Widow’s Fund .
By GhanaianTimes
The Ghana Tourism Development Company, GTDC, under the leadership of Prof.Kobby Mensah has launched GTDC Campus Tourism Office at the University of Ghana.
The initiative aims to promote educational and domestic tourism by providing structured campus tour experiences showcasing key heritage sites, including the Archaeology Museum and the School of Performing Arts.
It will also offer students their first travel experience across the continent and inculcate in them love to visit Ghana’s heritage sites.
Addressing the gathering at the launch yesterday, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, described tourism as a vehicle for education and heritage preservation, stressing that the sector must inspire citizens to value and protect national culture for future generations.
The minister highlighted tourism’s connection to disciplines such as history, the arts, economics and environmental science.
The minister further noted that the private sector is the engine of tourism economy, adding that the engines require fuel, which is talents.” by investing in these young people today, you are securing the quality, the innovation and competitiveness of our own industry for tomorrow.
She added that the establishment of the office represents a deliberate investment in the intellectual capital of the country.
The GTDC boss, Prof.Kobby Mensah, said,”at GTDC, we believe that if our tourism has to be sustainable, we have to promote domestic tourism and a very big part of it is getting students to appreciate tourism and helping them to organise tours.”
He added that the University of Ghana itself is a huge heritage site which must be explored.
Prof.Kobby Mensah noted that the initiative, which is one of many to be established across the country, is a joint partnership between GTDC and University of Ghana.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof.Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, said the University is a custodian of heritage which goes beyond the structures and welcomed the establishment of the first Campus Tourism Office.
She was optimistic that the office would be put to good use to achieve the intended purpose.
The launch brought together Stakeholders reaffirming their commitment to nurturing future tourism and hospitality professionals.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Ghana has officially accepted an invitation to serve as Guest Country at Burkina Faso’s 22nd National Culture Week in Bobo-Dioulasso from April 22 to May 2, 2026.
The invitation was extended by Burkina Faso’s Minister of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism, Gilbert Noël Ouédraogo, accompanied by the Ambassador of Burkina Faso to Ghana, H.E. David Kabré.
Receiving the delegation, Abla Dzifa Gomashie reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to deepening cultural diplomacy and strengthening historic ties between the two nations.
She noted that the festival will create opportunities for young creatives, expand exhibition platforms and promote commercial exchange within the creative sector.
The event will feature cultural performances, a community village and gastronomy fair, an arts market, literary engagements, and a craft and trade fair.
Ghana’s participation is expected to further strengthen bilateral relations between John Dramani Mahama and Ibrahim Traoré, while fostering collaboration within the creative ecosystems of both countries.
