About 174,000 cocoa farmers in 450 cocoa-growing communities in Ghana have received Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) worth GH¢ 454,000.
The items, procured by the Mondelez International in partnership with Child Rights International (CRI), is meant to assist cocoa farmers in the fight against the deadly respiratory disease.
The items were handed over to COCOBOD and subsequently delivered to the farmers at a ceremony held in Accra on Tuesday. The items include thermometer guns to check the temperature of people, public address system to roll out public education on the coronavirus pandemic, modernised hand washing machine, nose mask, soups and sanitizers.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the Country Director of Mondelez International Cocoa Life Programme, Mrs Yaa Peprah Amekudzi, said the organisation was determined to contribute its quota in the fight against the spread coronavirus.
She said some of the items were meant to directly help cocoa farmers adhere to precautionary measures while the remaining items would be given to hospitals or clinics within cocoa-growing communities.
Recognising the role cocoa farmers play in Ghana’s economic development, Mrs Amekudzi, said Mondelez International and Child Rights International thought it wise to extend a helping hand to cocoa farmers.
She, therefore, appealed to cocoa farmers to adhere to the various precautionary measures to avoid infection.
The Executive Director of CRI, Mr Bright Appiah, said apart from the PPEs presented to the cocoa farmers, more measures were being rolled out to ensure that the effect of the coronavirus was minimised.
He particularly mentioned that CRI would soon roll out an e-learning programme for children of cocoa farmers to ensure that their time at home becomes productive.
The e-learning project would be tailored to suit the specific needs of the children based on the data available to CRI regarding children within those communities.
Mr Appiah said one of the major concerns of CRI was the safety and wellbeing of children and that the organisation would stop at nothing in ensuring that nothing untoward happened to them.
The Deputy Chief Executive Director in-charge of Operations at COCOBOD, Dr. Emmanuel Opoku, commended Mondelez International and Child Rights International for the gesture.
He also applauded them for their various role in helping enhance the operations of cocoa farmers in the country.
Mr Opoku stressed the need for people to adhere to basic precautionary measures and warned against belittling the deadly COVID-19.
He said it would be unwise for any person to underestimate the coronavirus and urged all to protect themselves.
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