By Kofi AHOVI
Centuries International Cocoa-Chocolate Festival Organization (CICCFO) has introduced an initiative to promote cocoa consumption in schools, hospitals, and corporate entities, which is estimated to provide employment for about 3,000 youth.
The Chief Executive Officer of CICCFO, Ben Amponsah-Fordjour, at a press conference in Accra last week, said the company, with approval from the Ghana Education Service (GES), would promote the national cocoa powder beverage (Royale) with cocoa bread rolls to mainly schools, as a starter, to be taken prior to meals served under the School Feeding Programme to school children.
The programme, which would be started in phases, would eventually be rolled out throughout the country, and, thus, personnel would be employed throughout the country for distribution purpose, among others.
The first phase of the programme would be concentrated in Accra and Tema, and later extended to 20 districts each, in all the 10 regions.
Lamenting over the low level of cocoa consumption in the country, the CEO stressed that "it is important to create awareness about the importance of the cocoa beverage on a daily basis."
The school children would however have to pay a little amount for the cocoa beverage and bread rolls, from the beginning, as the organization continues to lobby the government and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to subsidize the product, so that school children could have it for free.
A Deputy Minister of Information, James Agyenim-Boateng, said the initiative by CICCFO was forward-looking in the drive to promote consumption of locally manufactured products, and the creation of jobs for Ghanaian youth.
He noted that the National Democratic Congress (NDC), as a socially democratic government, was willing to support interventions that would promote consumption of locally manufactured goods.
He thus commended CICCFO for its effort, and pledged the government's support for the sustenance of the school feeding programme, “in a manner that would benefit farmers through the patronage of their produce.”
CICCFO has partnership with First Capital Plus, a savings and loans company, to give support to the youth who would be employed under the initiative to set up small businesses to sell their products.
A representative of First Capital Plus, Stephen Antoh, said his organization was supporting the initiative because it seeks to provide school children with healthy meals, while providing employment.
He added that their involvement would not only increase their customer base, "but more importantly, it will provide jobs for people."
Antoh explained that "those who will buy the products, will be entered in a draw, and winners will be assisted to set up companies to promote and sell the products."
Centuries International Cocoa-Chocolate Festival Organization (CICCFO) has introduced an initiative to promote cocoa consumption in schools, hospitals, and corporate entities, which is estimated to provide employment for about 3,000 youth.
The Chief Executive Officer of CICCFO, Ben Amponsah-Fordjour, at a press conference in Accra last week, said the company, with approval from the Ghana Education Service (GES), would promote the national cocoa powder beverage (Royale) with cocoa bread rolls to mainly schools, as a starter, to be taken prior to meals served under the School Feeding Programme to school children.
The programme, which would be started in phases, would eventually be rolled out throughout the country, and, thus, personnel would be employed throughout the country for distribution purpose, among others.
The first phase of the programme would be concentrated in Accra and Tema, and later extended to 20 districts each, in all the 10 regions.
Lamenting over the low level of cocoa consumption in the country, the CEO stressed that "it is important to create awareness about the importance of the cocoa beverage on a daily basis."
The school children would however have to pay a little amount for the cocoa beverage and bread rolls, from the beginning, as the organization continues to lobby the government and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to subsidize the product, so that school children could have it for free.
A Deputy Minister of Information, James Agyenim-Boateng, said the initiative by CICCFO was forward-looking in the drive to promote consumption of locally manufactured products, and the creation of jobs for Ghanaian youth.
He noted that the National Democratic Congress (NDC), as a socially democratic government, was willing to support interventions that would promote consumption of locally manufactured goods.
He thus commended CICCFO for its effort, and pledged the government's support for the sustenance of the school feeding programme, “in a manner that would benefit farmers through the patronage of their produce.”
CICCFO has partnership with First Capital Plus, a savings and loans company, to give support to the youth who would be employed under the initiative to set up small businesses to sell their products.
A representative of First Capital Plus, Stephen Antoh, said his organization was supporting the initiative because it seeks to provide school children with healthy meals, while providing employment.
He added that their involvement would not only increase their customer base, "but more importantly, it will provide jobs for people."
Antoh explained that "those who will buy the products, will be entered in a draw, and winners will be assisted to set up companies to promote and sell the products."
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