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Transcript/Script EnglishUSAGM SHARE
((PLAYBOOK SLUG: GHANA CHESS WOMEN YOUTH
HEADLINE: US Charity Supports Ghana Chess Workshop Championing Women
TEASER: 'The Gift of Chess' hires women and youth to produce chess pieces, promote chess education
PUBLISHED: 05/17/2023 at 11:10am
BYLINE: Nneka Chile
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: ACCRA, GHANA
VIDEOGRAPHER: NNEKA CHILE
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Schearf, Ide
VIDEO SOURCE(S): VOA ORIGINAL
PLATFORMS: (mark with X) WEB_TV X RADIO X
TRT: 2:13
VID APPROVED BY: MAS
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES: ))
((INTRO))
US aid group 'The Gift of Chess” has set up a workshop in Ghana producing chess pieces for women empowerment and youth development. The group is using chess to create jobs and strengthen communities through the game. Nneka Chile reports from Accra, Ghana.
((NARRATOR))
Evelyn Nukpetah earns about $100 per month making chess pieces at a workshop in Ghana’s capital using 3D modeling and a printing machine.
The workshop, funded by the New York-based aid group 'The Gift of Chess' and operated by local group Klean Afrique 64, hires and trains young women like Nukpetah.
((Evelyn Nukpetah, Klean Afrique 64 Participant (English, 19 secs))
“Chess has really helped me. At first, I do not know how to type. Now I am learning how to type. And, at first, I do not know how to use a 3D printer. Now I know how to use it and I can produce a chess piece and I am very (sure) this will help me in the near future.”
((NARRATOR))
The popularity of the strategic, thinking game as a tool for community development is growing in Africa.
The Gift of Chess sponsors tournaments and has donated 1,000 chess sets to underprivileged youth programs in Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda and more than 2,500 to Nigeria.
Since starting local production this year in Ghana, the team has sent more than 50 chess sets to schools and youth centers and taught scores of young women how to play.
((Radio Intro: Philip Ameku is president of the Ghana Chess Association.))
((Philip Ameku, Ghana Chess Association President (English, 27 secs))
“I think this particular program is going to go a long way to support the girls to think outside the box and as you know, chess is a thinking game so as they engage in chess, they are able to widen their thinking scope and I think it is going to have a great impact on their upbringing and their social background."
((NARRATOR))
The workshop also teaches young women computer skills and programming for production.
((Radio Intro: Charles Tandoh is The Gift of Chess representative in Ghana.))
((Charles Tandoh, The Gift of Chess, (English, 26 seconds))
"We owe it as part of our corporate social responsibility to develop the communities we find ourselves in. In every community we go to we will be concerned about the well-being of the people we train. Some of the people live in very difficult circumstances so we don't just teach them how to play chess, we teach them other life skills to help them build their confidence and prepare them for life."
((NARRATOR))
As the popularity of chess grows, the aid group hopes to get enough support to expand production in the coming months.
((Nneka Chile, for VOA News, Accra, Ghana.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
