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Paul Osuyi, Asaba
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has trained 100 women selected from communities across the 25 local government areas of Delta State on the production of liquid soap and alcohol-based hand sanitisers.
The three-day training, which held in Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area, was done in collaboration with the state government.
Flagging-off the training, Commissioner for Economic Planning, Barry Gbe, said the state government is irrevocably committed to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gbe, who was represented by his Special Assistant, Alexander Ighoro, said government decided to embark on the exercise to scale up the production of the products which he noted have been in short supply since the outbreak of the global pandemic
He said the training would help to curb the growing community spread of the pandemic, cushion the attendant economic hardship on the part of the citizens, as well as increase the nutritional status of households/families as a result of the income derivable from the proposed intervention.
“This training programme is yet another effort by the Delta State government to further empower and build the resilience of our vulnerable women in the rural areas through the acquisition of requisite skill in soap making and the production of alcohol-based hand sanitisers.
“This is because at the end of the training, participants would be able to earn additional income to support their respective families/households, thus mitigating the adverse effects of COVID-19.
“We have structured this training to fully prepare you with soap making and sanitisers production methods and elements needed to start the production and sales as quickly as possible.
“It is pertinent to mention that in accordance with the World Health Organisations COVID-19 prevention guidelines and protocols as reiterated by the National Council for Disease Control, regular hand washing with soap and running water, the use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers and social distancing are key to combating the virus.
