By Godfred A. Polkuu
Bolgatanga, May 25, GNA – The Ghana Hairdressers and Beauticians Association (GHABA) has commended the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union of Ghana (ICU-Ghana) for the immense support and contributions received for the past 50years.
“If we have come this far, it is because of ICU-Ghana, and we want to say that we are ever grateful to leadership of ICU-Ghana for putting us together and directing our path to achieve this 50years milestone as an Association.”
Madam Tina Offei Yirenkyi, the National President of GHABA, who gave the commendation in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), on the side-line of the association’s 50th Anniversary celebration in Bolgatanga, attributed the success of GHABA to ICU-Ghana.
The celebration, which attracted both National and Regional executives and members of GHABA across the Region and beyond, was on the theme “Accelerating the adoption of digital solution in the hair and beauty industry; the role of GHABA.”
Members of the Association, prior to a durbar, went on a float on some principal streets of Bolgatanga Municipality, and danced to different genres of music.
They flaunted placards with inscriptions such as “Grooming with Perfection,” “GHABA, the Mother Association,” “Creating Jobs for the Youth,” among others.
Madam Yirenkyi said members and leaders of the Association as part of their 50th Anniversary, would visit some hospitals, prisons, orphanages nationwide to present gift items to them as the Association’s corporate social responsibility.
She noted that since the Association was formed in 1972, it had over the past 50years reduced the rate of unemployment, especially among young women in Ghana.
“It has empowered women and offered them a suitable vocation. We find it prudent that an Association like ours can wave through the challenges all these years and stood up for welfare of our members across the country,” she said.
Madam Yirenkyi used the occasion to call on young unemployed women in the country to join GHABA to be trained as professional hairdressers and beauticians, so that they could be self-employed to cater for themselves and their families.
She said members of the Association were spread across the country, and described as enormous contributions of the Association to the reduction of unemployment in the country.
“Every year we train young women and men in some cases, and even set some of them up in business. We lobby for some form of assistance from opinion leaders, Non-Governmental Organizations, Members of Parliament for some of our people,” Madam Yirenkyi said.
She said the hair care industry was viable, and advised members of GHABA, especially apprentices to respect their trainers so that they could impart the necessary knowledge and skills of the profession to them.
GNA
