The World Food Programme (WFP) in Ghana has presented its partners with made-in-Ghana gift bags known as the SWAG BAGS during the Christmas festive season as a means of appreciating them for their support to save and change the lives of the most vulnerable throughout the year 2022.
The contents of this eco-friendly bag are a representation of the work done by the WFP in Ghana.
The WFP-branded biodegradable swag bag is made of river volta water hyacinths embedded with seedlings at the bottom. To plant, take the card from the bottom of the bags and bury it in the soil.
The gift bag”Swag bag”was as a result of WFP’s collaboration with Global Mamas, an NGO based in Kpong, Volta Region, to transform water hyacinths, which are ecosystem disruptors, into strong, eco-friendly, and stylish gift bags.
The chocolate bars included in the bag were produced by Mansa Gold, a company owned by Preba Arkaah, a fearless female entrepreneur who sources cocoa in communities nearby Accra and sensitises farmers on chocolate production.
Her enclosed treats include the ancient Sahelian grain fonio, wrewre or muskmelon seed, as well as maize and soya for a nutrient-rich punch. Inspired by Ghana’s beautiful birds and wildlife, Mansa Gold incorporates birdsongs, linking Ghana’s rich fauna to the nation’s cultural heritage.
Furthermore, included in the gift bag is a customized WFP apron and makeup bag brought to you by the stylish Oye Bags and Clothing, owned by Accra-based female entrepreneur Anita Essie Kittoe. The aprons and make-up bags were made using WFP-branded fabric produced by the Ghana textile printing company.
In addition to seedlings and gardening aprons, the bag contains a planting calendar printed by Ghanaian Jacob Arkaah of Logical Choice Printing Company, based in the UK. WFP engaged The Logical Choice because of their unique printing designs that are not easily found locally.
The Swag Bag also contains a narrative which includes two gift vouchers for 1 kilogramme bag of Fonio from Faustep Foods and 1 kilogramme bag of organic fertilizer from Nhyiraba Fiber to aid in planting the seeds embedded in the bag.
The WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability, and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
In Ghana, WFP works with the government and the private sector to deliver a country free of hunger. The items contained in the gift bag”Swag Bag” exemplifies WFP’s collaboration with the private sector in Ghana to achieve sustainable production and consumption, resilience, and food security.
WFP supports a Ghana Beyond Aid through Food System buy Ghana approach.
