Pro-poor social intervention programme begins
A pro-poor gender sensitive integrated programme to transform fortunes of scores of people in the areas of education, human rights awareness and micro-business management in the Volta Region was launched in Ho on Wednesday
The programme is dubbed “Enhancing Human Resource for Growth and Development at Community Level”.
It is under the auspices of the Catholic Diocese of Ho and targeted at communities in 10 administrative districts and municipalities in the Diocese and one other in the Eastern Region, Asougyaman.
Misereor, a German Charity, is the main sponsor of the three-year project.
Rev. Fr. Terence Adzimah, Development Coordinator, Ho Diocese, listed Ho, Kpando and Hohoe municipal areas and Adaklu, Agortime-Ziope, Ho-West, South Dayi, North-Dayi and Afadjato-South as the beneficiary districts, in the Volta Region.
He said the underlying philosophy of the project planners was that every human had a potential to be developed.
Rev. Fr. Adzimah said the first phase of the programme, which was also for three years, had transformed dormant micro-businesses in dressmaking, carpentry, hair dressing among others into budding ones.
He listed human rights and domestic violence, gender equity through girls’ education in mathematics, science, English, social studies and ICT, training of teachers in the mentioned subjects as some of the targeted areas.
The others are youth entrepreneurship for business development, peace-building and Alternative Dispute Resolution for promotion of harmony and better social relations.
He said expected outcomes by the close of the current project in 2016 were reduction of discrimination on gender issues, 270 disadvantaged boys and girls getting higher education, 210 artisans establishing profitable businesses and establishment of ADR counseling points for women to access counseling on domestic violence issues.
Most Reverend Francis Anani Lodonu, Bishop of the Ho Diocese of the Catholic Church, said the resounding success of the first phase of the programme was testimonial for sponsors to agree to support the second phase.
He advised beneficiaries of the project to be conscious of the fact that “these interventions are coming from the sacrifices of people who may be as equally poor”.
Most Reverend Lodonu added that “judicious use, therefore, should be made of whatever people are kind enough to offer us so that the contributors’ efforts do not go to waste”.
Mrs Dora Humado, Ho Municipal Director of Education, lauded the Ho Diocese’s visionary programmes in education and other social intervention programmes.
Political officers from the regional office and beneficiary districts invited to the programme did not turn up did not send representatives.
Source: GNA