Sang (N/R), Jan 25, –
Construction of a Soybean Processing Factory has begun at Sang in the Mion
District of the Northern Region to process soybean into various food products
for children in the district to help boost their nutritional status.
The Factory, which would begin
full operations by the beginning of the second quarter of this year, is also to
help improve incomes of households that cultivate soybean in the district as
they add value to the crop before selling as against the current practice of
selling raw soybean.
The Factory is being constructed
by the Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA), an NGO, and its
partner, Ghana Friends as part of their implementation of Community United in
Fighting Child Hunger Project in parts of the region.
Alhaji Osman Abdel-Rahman,
Executive Director of GDCA, who spoke at a ground breaking ceremony at Sang to
formally begin the construction of the Factory, said soybean was widely
cultivated in the area but many households did not consume it despite its high
nutritional value while child malnutrition was high in the area.
Statistics indicate that about 37
per cent of children in the region suffer from stunting, a situation which
affects their physical and mental development making them to fall sick often
and absent themselves from school.
Alhaji Abdel-Rahman said the
Factory would, therefore, support households through nutrition for their
children to amongst others improve education outcomes as well as create
business opportunities for soybean farmers.
Mr Mohammed Hashim Abdallah,
District Chief Executive for Mion lauded the project saying it was in line with
the government’s One-District One-Factory programme assuring that the District
Assembly would support the project to ensure success.
Madam Inger Millard, Programmes
Coordinator of Ghana Friends said child malnutrition also presented a cost to
families in terms of medical care saying Ghana Friends was happy to be
contributing to efforts at addressing child malnutrition in the country.
Madam Fuseina Abdulai, Women’s
Leader at Jimle/Guma community in the district thanked the NGOs for siting the
Factory in the area, saying it would help boost their incomes and nutrition for
their children.
GNA
Caption: Mr Abdallah and Chief of
Sang breaking ground for the construction of the factory,
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