Empowering WOMEN in Ghana

CEWEFIA was formed and inaugurated in March 1990 by Mrs. Victoria Churchill Koomson after the displacement of 54 fishmongers whose mud ovens were destroyed as a result of rehabilitating the Ghana Railway Corporation’s Station in Sekondi in the Western Region of Ghana. The fishmongers immediately sought help from Mrs. Victoria Churchill Koomson who always visited them at the said processing site and offered various forms of assistance to them and their children. She did not hesitate to come out with a solution because she had always thought of their possible ejection and had earmarked a suitable and a right and preferable place for them.

In her effort to acquire a suitable plot of land for the displaced women, she made a passionate appeal to the late Nana Nkatsia IV the then Paramount Chief of Essikadu in the Western Region of Ghana. Nana welcomed the appeal passionately and immediately added more plots to the land already earmarked by her. He said the land could be stretched from the valley to the old Essikadu Cemetery so that all the disadvantaged women would have a share of the plots. Efforts were also made by her to organize for the provision of potable water (pipe-stand), a bath house and electricity to help the women work effectively and in a healthy environment.

Moreover, when the Ports and Harbours Authority were in the process of building a Fishing Harbour   in Sekondi, their demarcation included the area CEWEFIA women had developed and were occupying and using there for their fish processing activities. 

The Ports and Harbours Authority which lacked information about the effort CEWEFIA had put in to develop the area, ejected the occupants, (very vibrant fishmongers). The fishmongers in that situation cried out against their ejection to their founder Mrs. Victoria Churchill Koomson who had been away for almost two weeks. On hearing the news, she quickly returned home to see to their plight. 

She, with the greatest passion, ran to the Authority and sorted it out with the JICA Agency who had been charged with the responsibility to construct the Fishing Harbour.

An alternate piece of land was sought from the Ngyiresia chief and his elders for JICA to re-locate the wailing CEWEFIA members. In all, fifty- four (54) fish processing stalls were built for the affected 54 members. The fifty- four (54) stalls and the utilities attached were handed over to Mrs. Victoria Churchill Koomson the founder and Executive Director of CEWEFIA by the then Regional Minister Mrs. Lily Nkansah and the Ports and Harbours Authority after the JICA Management had inspected the place.   

Through her efforts, the Sekondi women were also able to get assistance in the form of a loan to improve upon their fish processing business. 

As a result of her hard working activities with the Sekondi women, the fishmongers in the Central Region (Moree, Ekon, Ayisa, and Bantoma) also invited her to extend her technology to them and both groups worked together and exchanged ideas and experiences, hence, the name Central and Western Fishmongers Improvement Association (CEWEFIA) of Ghana.