The Switzerland Ambassador to Ghana, Simone Giger, has lauded Muslim Women in Teaching (MUSWIT) for prioritizing the welfare of young girls and women in society through numerous skills training programs.

MUSWIT is a non-governmental organization comprising female Muslim teachers in Ghana. Its aim is to promote girl-child education, empower women, and foster a brighter future for the community.

The ambassador made the commendation during her tour of the MUSWIT facility in Accra, where many girls and women are being trained in various skills.

She praised the organization’s efforts in supporting women across Ghana.

She expressed her excitement over how the organization uses limited resources to empower many women in society, creating job opportunities through skill training in areas such as modern fashion design, computer literacy, soap making, among others.

While touring the facility, Simone Giger admired a fashion umbrella designed by an apprentice, which caught her attention and prompted her to purchase a variety of products exhibited by the organization.

At the IT center of the facility, apprentices appealed for sewing accessories, which they said would motivate them to complete their training.

They noted that many of their colleagues have dropped out due to financial constraints and the lack of sewing materials.

The ambassador expressed her gratitude to the national president and members of the organization for the warm reception and assured them of her support.

The National President of Muslim Women in Teaching, Ghana, Hajia Amina-Deen Ibrahim, stated that the formation of the organization was to address issues related to early marriage, school dropouts, and idleness among women within Muslim communities by providing them with skills training.

She added that the organization also aims to support girls who did not have access to Senior High School, as well as those who completed high school but could not proceed to tertiary education due to financial challenges.

She revealed that the training is free of charge, and the only requirement for enrollment is transportation to the center.

She further noted that, with support from the Turkish Embassy, the organization has acquired several sewing machines to train girls in fashion design and IT.

Outlining challenges confronting the organization, Hajia Amina-Deen Ibrahim cited operational costs as the major challenge.

She noted that although MUSWIT is made up of professional teachers, the organization hires additional instructors to train the girls, which incurs significant costs.

According to her, most of the machines used for training are industrial and consume a lot of electricity, resulting in high utility bills that often have to be covered from members’ salaries.

Hajia Amina-Deen Ibrahim appealed to the government for partnership through the National Apprenticeship Programme to support trainees with materials for practicals and transportation—two of the major challenges faced by the girls.