Korea signs $4.5m agreement with UNICEF to eradicate poverty in northern Ghana
The Korea Government through Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), on Friday signed a $4.5 million partnership agreement with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to undertake a three-year poverty eradication project in Northern and Upper East regions.
The project dubbed: “Human Development through Life Cycle Approach”, was designed by UNICEF to improve access to better health and education services in the two regions.
It is also aims at breaking the vicious cycle of poverty that creates and recreates undernourished infants, poorly educated children, marginalized adolescents and unsafe and young motherhood in Savelugu Nanton, Karaga, Chereponi, Kpandai, Central Gonja and Garu Tipani districts.
Mr Cho Kwang-Geol, Resident Representative of KOICA Ghana Office, initialed for the Korean Government while Ms Susan Namondo Ngongi, Country Representative, UNICEF, signed for her organization at a ceremony in Accra.
He said the fund for the project, which would be disbursed in three tranches between 2013 and 2015 forms part of Korea’s contribution towards Ghana’s economic and social development.
Mr Kwang-Geol said KOICA Ghana was working in the areas of education, health and energy and KOICA was partnering UNICEF to undertake the project to improve health and education in Ghana.
Ms Ngongi said the project was “an important journey that we are making towards improving human development in Ghana, especially for its poorest women and children”.
She said through the partnership, UNICEF would employ a life cycle approach that would direct its efforts to crucial issues regarding child’s development, particularly infant nutrition, primary education and adolescent skills.
Ms Ngongi said: “These efforts must complement a robust national effort to further promote access for those who continue to be excluded from the health and education systems in Ghana and ensure quality services was provided”.
She said UNICEF would also collaborate with Ghana Education Service and the Ghana Heal Service to undertake the project.
Source: GNA