Ghanaians export Liberian refugee's goods outside

Buduburam (C/R), July 14, GNA - Ghanaian exporters have started to appreciate and export some products manufactured by Liberians at the Buduburam refugee settlement to countries in the sub-region. Among such products are leather wares such as shoes and bags that the inmates at the settlement learnt to manufacture through skill training offered them by the support of the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

This came to light on Monday when Mrs Needa Jehu-Hoyah, Public Relations Officer of the UNHCR took journalists around the camp to observe, among other things, the on-going registration exercise of all refugees in the country.

The exercise, which started last week with an average daily registration number of about 3000 people, would be completed by the end of this month.

Briefing the press, Mr John Connell, Senior Chairman of the Camp Governing Body said some Ghanaian exporters have contacts with some shoemakers in the camp to order shoes and other goods and export. He expressed gratitude to the Ghana government for the sustained security granted them, saying, "this alone has provided us the opportunity to be very enterprising, with people striving to do something on their own."

"You may wonder how these shops are spreading at the camp, some liaised with big shops and business people in the city of Accra who assist them to acquire wares to sell at the camp," he said.

Mr Connell said their survival and happiness so far could largely be attributed to the greater degree of self-sufficient and self-dependent as well as their readiness to assist each other to start some business of their own.

He noted also that most of the farm produce inmates were trading in at the camp were produced by refugee farmers at the camp who engage in farming activities either on their own or in partnership with the Ghanaian farmers in neighbouring villages and towns.

Touching on the peace and security situation, Mr David Tarway, Secretary General of the Council described as unfortunate the way the media had portrayed inhabitants at the camp as being a group full of miscreants.

He said most of what the media publishes about them was not the true reflection of the refugees because the press had always failed to get in touch with the authorities adding, "Because we are vulnerable and financially handicapped, we could not organise press conferences to debunk them."

Mr Tarway said Liberians at the camp were praying and hoping that the political situation would improve to enable them to return home. He said many refugees, since arrival in Ghana had not had contacts with their relatives whether abroad or in Liberia.