By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, March 13, GNA – A total of 142,347 vulnerable people comprising of 76,867 females, 16,987 children, and 65,480 male parents, from three regions in the northern Ghana are to benefit from a five-year project on improving nutrition.
The Project, dubbed: “Championing Nutrition and Gender Equality” (CHANGE), will reach out to about 108 communities in the beneficiary districts, 27 health facilities, including nine health centres and 18 Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS).
The project is being implemented by Children Believe, an international NGO, in partnership with Norsaac, an NGO, among other government agencies with funding support from Global Affairs Canada.
The beneficiary districts include; Tolon, Kumbungu, Nanumba South, Kasena-Nankana West, Builsa South, Sawla-Tuna-Kalba, Bole and East Gonja Districts in the Northern, Upper East and Savannah Regions.
Madam Ethel Sakitey, the Chief of Party, CHANGE Project, said it was to help improve nutrition for the poorest and marginalised groups especially, among children, adolescent girls, and women.
It would target pregnant, lactating, and marginalised women aged between 15 – 49 years old, to improve women leadership and control over resources for community and individual gender-equitable nutrition practices.
Again, the project would adopt an integrated and coherent approach to empower women with greater control over food security and livestock production, thus championing capacity building, fostering participatory and multi-stakeholder involvement, supporting systematic and sustainable changes, and enhancing the resilience of local communities through asset development and environmental protection.
She called on all stakeholders in the implementation areas to support the project to ensure that the marginalised were empowered for inclusive development.
Dr Belinda Bennet, the Chief International Programmes Officer, Children Believe, Canada, reiterated the organisation’s commitment to supporting women, children, and adolescents by providing them the needed opportunities, while helping them to break barriers to succeed and thrive.
She said the organisation, over the years, had supported more than 5,000 children and about 14,000 vulnerable communities within the four regions in the north had been imparted through various interventions and programmes.
Martine Moreau, the High Commissioner of Canada to Ghana, said the Canadian Government’s support for the CHANGE Project, was a testament of its resolve to safeguarding the rights, and nutritional well-being of marginalised communities for sustainable development.
She said about 865,000 people in the northern part of the country had benefited from water, sanitation, and hygiene projects, which was supported by the Canadian Government, adding that the CHANGE Project would further improve on the livelihoods of the people.
Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, the Northern Regional Minister, described the project as a game-changer, saying nutrition and gender inequalities were closely related to poverty, which also had a direct bearing on peace and security.
He said there were issues low birth weight, stunting and wasting amongst children in the north and gave assurance that with support of donor partners, “Government remains resolute and committed towards addressing these unacceptable health indicators and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Madam Veronica Quartey, a staff of the Ghana Health Service, commended Children Believe and partners for the project, saying it complemented government’s efforts at improving nutrition and well-being of the people.
GNA