Traders affected by the recent fire outbreak at the Dansoman Market have received support aimed at helping them rebuild their businesses and restore their livelihoods through a collaborative initiative involving the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West, Rev. Dr. Kweku Addo.
The support exercise, held at the market, brought relief to traders who suffered significant losses following the fire incident, which destroyed goods, equipment and sources of income for many victims.
The Chief Director of the Ministry, Dr. Marian W. A. Kpakpah, represented the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the event.
The intervention follows an earlier visit by the Minister to the market, where she sympathised with affected traders and engaged them on measures needed to support their recovery.
During that visit, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey assured traders of the Ministry’s readiness to work with relevant institutions to coordinate relief efforts and provide psychosocial support to those affected by the disaster.
Addressing beneficiaries, Dr. Marian W. A. Kpakpah stressed the critical role of social protection in helping individuals and families recover from unforeseen setbacks and restore their economic wellbeing.
She noted that rebuilding the livelihoods of affected traders requires collective support from government, stakeholders and communities, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that vulnerable persons are not left behind during difficult circumstances.
According to her, interventions aimed at restoring economic stability among affected traders contribute significantly to strengthening resilience and supporting household welfare.
For his part, Rev. Dr. Kweku Addo said the support package was designed to assist victims, particularly women traders, to restart their businesses and regain their sources of income.
He expressed optimism that the assistance would alleviate some of the challenges faced by the traders and enable them to resume their economic activities.
The support package included industrial sewing machines, cash assistance and other essential equipment intended to help beneficiaries rebuild their businesses.
Beneficiaries welcomed the intervention and expressed appreciation for the support, describing it as a timely response to the difficulties they have faced since the fire outbreak.
The initiative is expected to provide a foundation for affected traders to recover economically and gradually restore their businesses while strengthening ongoing efforts to improve the welfare of vulnerable groups.