CARE facilitates development of Community Action Plans
CARE International, an international non-governmental organization, under its Local Extension for Agricultural Development (LEAD), has facilitated the development of Community Action Plans (CAPs) in 34 communities in four areas in the country.
They include Garu-Tempane, East Mamprusi and Lawra Districts, and the Techiman Municipality, of the Upper East, Northern, Upper West and Brong Ahafo Regions respectively.
The CAPs that had been presented to the various District Assemblies, had been incorporated into their Medium Term Development Plans and expected that with support and resources from the Municipal/District Assemblies such as the District Assemblies Common Fund and the District–Wide Assistance Project the CAPs would be implemented.
Speaking during separate functions at Bianboug, Nati, Gozesi, Pialoko, Tariganga, Konkonmada, Burankoun and Takor in the Garu-Tempane District, Mr Edwin Batiir, Local Governance and Advocacy Officer of the LEAD Project, said the initiative was a six-year initiative and funded by the Danish International Development Agency under CARE Ghana’s Agriculture and Food Security Program in Northern Ghana.
He said it was aimed at building on the successes of the Sustainable Farming Systems Extension an earlier project, which was also implemented by CARE Ghana.
Mr Batiir said the project which, spans from 2009 to 2014, was building on the experiences and successes in developing a community-based extension system that addresses the rights and responsibilities of the poor and marginalized, and also considering critical challenges to sustainable livelihood in ensuring food security in the operational areas.
He also explained that the LEAD project was also targeting the poor, especially women and the marginalized rural farmers in Northern Ghana, and was helping these groups to gain improved access to extension and other social services that would respond to their needs.
Mr Batiir said that the LEAD project would enable marginalized groups and communities gain access to other services through the development and presentation of the CAPs to the Municipal and District Assemblies for redress.
Madam Agnes Loriba, Project Manager for the LEAD project, under CARE International, asked the people to ensure the execution of the remaining projects in their community action plans.
She called on the community members to constantly make follow ups to the District Assemblies through the Assembly Members for their activities and projects to be inputted unto their annual action plans for implementation.
Madam Loriba asked them to lobby other development actors for more projects to bring more development to the area instead of solely depending on the District Assembly for development.
Ms Ayishetu Mikey Iddrisu, Gender and Diversity Adviser of CARE International, said that the CAPs processes involved the majority of women, to enable them to identify their needs and that of children.
She indicated that CARE International had also initiated the “Village Savings and Loans Associations”, made up of women, who contributed and lend monies and loans to themselves.
Ms Iddrisu said some of the beneficiary communities in the Garu-Tempane area indicated that they had achieved most of their CAPs targets, including the provision of boreholes, health facilities and schools among others.
Others indicated that they were making follow ups to the Assembly to ensure that other projects under the CAPs were executed.
Mr. Solomon Atigah, Programme Manager of the Presbyterian Agriculture Station, said so far the LEAD project had made significant impact, especially in the area of food security since the majority of community members were adopting good farming practices due to the training given them in composting and small ruminant farming.
Source: GNA