World Food Programme donates to northern Ghana institutions
The World Food Programme (WFP) has donated a Toyota pick-up vehicle, 20 motorbikes, 15 computers and accessories and 38 Personal Data Assistants (PDAs) to three public institutions in the three northern regions.
The items were donated upon request by the beneficiary institutions to strengthen their capacity to effectively implement and monitor programmes, and ensure their sustainability.
The beneficiary institutions included the Ghana Health Service (GHS), which received the Toyota pick-up vehicle and five motorbikes, the Department for Community Development (DCD) receiving 15 motorbikes and 12 computers with accessories, and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) receiving 38 PDAs and three desktop computers.
Mr Ismail Omer, WFP Country Representative, assisted by Mr Moses Bukari Mabengba, Northern Regional Minister handed over the items to the Regional Heads of the beneficiary institutions at a ceremony at the Northern Regional Coordinating Council in Tamale on Friday.
Mr Omer said “WFP supports the GHS to improve nutritional outcomes of vulnerable people under a programme titled Nutritional Support for Vulnerable Groups to prevent malnutrition, particularly during the critical 1000-day window of opportunity which begins from the womb to age two”.
He said under the programme, people living with HIV in northern Ghana, the Eastern Region and the Millennium Village Project in the Ashanti Region, were also provided with nutritional support.
He said it was in this direction that the vehicle was donated to be used by the Activity Coordinator, whiles the five motorbikes went to the District Nutrition Officers in Tolon/Kumbugu, Savelugu/Nanton, Zabzugu/Tatale, East Mamprusi and Garu/Tempane.
In the case the DCD, Mr Omer said it (DCD) “implements and monitors WFP-assisted income generating activities for women’s groups engaged in retailing iodized salt and community-based milling and fortification” to empower them economically to provide adequate nutrition for themselves and their families hence the donation.
The districts benefiting from this facility included Tolon/Kumbugu, Savelugu/Nanton, Zabzugu/Tatale, East Mamprusi and Garu/Tempane, Bawku West, Bolga Municipal, Wa East, Wa West, Lambusi/Karne, Wa Municipal and Tamale Metro.
“MoFA and the GHS are being supported to implement a Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring System which provides information on trends in food security, a critical aspect needed to achieve national food sufficiency,” Mr Omer.
He said it was based on this that the WFP presented 38 PDAs to MoFA to be used by its field staff in 38 districts in the three northern regions to collect data for the Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring System.
“In addition to the PDAs, three desktop computers are also being presented to the MoFA Statistics Research and Information Directorate Regional Offices in the three northern regions,” he added.
He expressed hope that the items would contribute to the successful implementation and monitoring and ultimately, the sustainability of the programmes for the benefit of the deprived.
Mr Mabengba appealed to the Heads of the beneficiary institutions to ensure that the items were delivered to the designated officers to use to attain the purpose for which there were donated.
He thanked WFP for its continued assistance to the vulnerable in society.
Dr Joseph Mahama, Deputy Northern Regional Director of Public Health, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiary institutions, said the items would help to expedite service delivery and gave the assurance that they would be put to good use.
Source: GNA