Bawumia Champions Kayayei Empowerment Programme

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has commissioned a state-of-the-art hostel facility to improve the lives of head porters, popularly known as kayayei, in Accra on May 21, 2024.

The facility aims to provide both housing and vocational training to the kayayei, fulfilling a promise made by the government to address their pressing needs and enhance their socio-economic status.

“It was a great pleasure this afternoon, in Accra, as I commissioned a multi-purpose hostel facility for head potters (Kayayei) and a training programme, the Kayayei Empowerment Programme for them.

“The commissioning of the ultra-contemporary residential facility and training centre, is in fulfilment of a promise I made to the head potters (sic), on behalf of the government, when I visited their hub in Agbogbloshie, Accra, to greet them.

“With government adding a training programme to the residential facility, we have moved beyond the promise of addressing their pressing needs, to also offering them transitional job pathways, to enhance their socio-economic status,” the vice president said in a Facebook post.

Located in Madina and Ashaiman, the facilities are part of a broader plan to impact over 100,000 Kayayei nationwide, with additional centres under construction in Kumasi and Techiman.

During the commissioning ceremony, Dr. Bawumia expressed his gratitude to various government agencies and partners who collaborated to bring the project to fruition.

“I am profoundly grateful to the following government agencies: the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), “District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), Ghana Gas, Ghana Health Service, and BOST, as well as the Father Campbell Foundation, for their collaborative efforts in making this possible.

“Many doubted this when the promise was made, but once again, we have proven that with a possibility mindset, and the right partnership, nothing is impossible. Indeed, it is possible!” he added.

Kayayei Empowerment Programme 

Dr. Bawumia noted that government’s concern is not only to provide decent accommodation to the head porters, but to also create a pathway which will empower them to be self-employed, so that they would not have to go back to the streets, hence the establishment of the Kayayei Empowerment Programme.

The  programme,  Dr. Bawumia noted, has been meticulously conceived and crafted to provide holistic and sustainable economic empowerment to “these resilient young women.”

“This multi-faceted program is characterized by a rigorous and exhaustive recruitment process, culminating in the selection of initial training cohorts comprising 5,000 head porters. Over the span of three weeks, participants will be immersed in a transformative learning experience, encompassing essential modules such as baking and beading, supplemented by invaluable soft skills training in personal health care, financial management, and entrepreneurial acumen.”

“Crucially, the provision of post-training support and implementation of a track and trace model, serves as the linchpin of the program’s efficacy, with participants receiving starter packs tailored to facilitate their seamless integration into new economic opportunities and further ensure that beneficiaries do not return to being head porters,” Dr. Bawumia added.

In addition to the programmes on offer, Dr. Bawumia also revealed that discussions with Aayalolo and Metro Mass, are ongoing, for the two agencies to also train some of the Kayayei in driving.