Garlus Donates 15 Industrial Sewing Machines to Damongo Women

DAMONGO, Savannah Region — Fifteen women in Damongo are set to receive a boost to their tailoring businesses after Ghana Water Limited Managing Director, Hon. Adam Mutawakilu Garlus, donated 15 industrial sewing machines to members of the Lordina Ladies group.

The donation was made on Saturday, August 29, 2026, in Damongo as part of an initiative aimed at helping women with tailoring skills strengthen their businesses and build more sustainable sources of income.

The gesture has also attracted commendation from Bunyanso Farms Limited and the Northern Ghana Integrated Initiatives for Development (NORGIID Ghana), which welcomed the intervention as practical support for entrepreneurship and livelihoods.

Why the Sewing Machines Matter

For many small-business operators, having the skill to work is only one part of the challenge.

Access to the right equipment can determine whether that skill becomes a functioning and profitable enterprise.

The industrial sewing machines could help the beneficiaries increase production, take on more orders and strengthen their tailoring businesses.

For women already working in the trade, improved access to equipment can also reduce some of the limitations created by relying on basic or inadequate machines.

The bigger question, however, is whether the support will translate into sustained income and growing businesses.

Garlus Announces More Support

Hon. Garlus indicated that the 15 sewing machines form part of an initial consignment of support.

Reports from the presentation indicate that he intends to extend assistance to other members of the group, including people engaged in hairdressing and other artisanal activities.

He also spoke about his longstanding relationship with the Lordina Ladies, dating back to 2010.

According to reports from the event, Garlus said the group had remained supportive during difficult periods over the years and that the intervention was partly intended to recognise that longstanding relationship.

From Skills to Sustainable Businesses

The donation comes at a time when practical livelihood opportunities remain an important part of economic discussions across Northern Ghana.

For many young people and small-business operators, the challenge is not necessarily a lack of skills but the absence of equipment, finance, markets and other resources needed to turn those skills into viable businesses.

Global Pulse GH has previously reported on vocational opportunities and livelihood development in the Savannah Region.

Also Read: Central Gonja disability groups plan vocational training for youths

That story highlights a similar issue: vocational skills become more economically useful when people have the tools required to practise and develop them.

A sewing machine, for example, can allow a tailor to accept more orders, improve production and potentially expand the business over time.

A Wider Livelihood Question for Savannah

The intervention also adds to a broader conversation about how communities in Northern Ghana can create more livelihood opportunities outside formal salaried employment.

Tailoring, agriculture, food processing, trading, construction, hairdressing and other small enterprises already provide income for thousands of people across the region.

But many operators struggle to expand because of limited access to productive equipment and capital.

That is why interventions focused on practical assets can be significant, particularly when they are combined with training, access to markets and business support.

Global Pulse GH has also reported on calls for more direct employment opportunities for young people in the Savannah Region.

Also Read: Savannah youth are demanding more sustainable employment opportunities

The issue is particularly important in communities where formal employment opportunities remain limited and many young people depend on informal businesses and skilled trades for their livelihoods.

Women’s Businesses Can Strengthen Households

The potential impact of the machines goes beyond the individual beneficiaries.

When a woman is able to expand a small business and increase her income, the additional earnings can contribute to household expenses, education, food and other family needs.

A growing enterprise can also create opportunities for apprentices and increase demand for materials and services from other local businesses.

This makes livelihood support different from a one-time intervention. Productive equipment can continue generating value when it is properly used, maintained and supported.

The same principle has been evident in other livelihood interventions across the Savannah Region.

In Central Gonja, for instance, the District Assembly recently supported persons with disabilities through financial and livelihood assistance aimed at helping beneficiaries establish or strengthen businesses.

Also Read: Central Gonja receives GH¢585,000 to support persons with disabilities

These interventions point to a common challenge facing many grassroots entrepreneurs: having the willingness and ability to work does not always mean having the resources required to grow.

What Happens After the Donation?

The presentation of the machines is only the beginning.

The real measure of the intervention will be what happens in the months ahead.

Will the beneficiaries be able to attract more customers?

Will they have access to fabrics and other materials required to operate consistently?

Can their businesses grow enough to support apprentices or additional workers?

Will they receive further training in areas such as pricing, marketing, bookkeeping and business management?

These questions will determine whether the machines remain a one-time donation or become the foundation for stronger and more sustainable businesses.

Bunyanso Farms and NORGIID Welcome the Initiative

Bunyanso Farms Limited and NORGIID Ghana have welcomed the intervention and encouraged other leaders, institutions, development organisations, civil society groups and businesses to consider similar practical forms of support.

Their position reflects a wider argument around grassroots economic empowerment: people who possess useful skills often need access to productive resources before those skills can generate meaningful income.

For women operating small enterprises, that support can make the difference between having a skill and having a functioning business.

The Bigger Opportunity for Damongo

For the 15 beneficiaries, the immediate opportunity is clear.

The machines provide new productive assets that can help them improve their tailoring activities and potentially increase their earnings.

For Damongo, the intervention adds to the growing conversation about supporting small businesses and creating practical economic opportunities at the community level.

But its long-term significance will depend on what comes next.

If the beneficiaries are able to increase production, secure more customers, grow their businesses and create opportunities for others, the impact of the donation could extend well beyond the original 15 machines.

That is ultimately where the success of the intervention will be measured — not simply by the number of machines presented, but by the businesses, incomes and livelihoods they help build.

Global Pulse GH will continue to follow community development, entrepreneurship and livelihood initiatives across Damongo and the Savannah Region.

What Do You Think?

Can practical equipment support such as sewing machines make a lasting difference to women entrepreneurs in Northern Ghana?

Share your thoughts in the comments and follow Global Pulse GH for more local stories that matter.

Global Pulse GH Editorial Desk

Reported and fact-checked by the Global Pulse GH newsroom.