By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bongo (U/E), Jan 12, GNA – The Meta Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation has supported selected basket weavers in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region to improve production and income levels as part of efforts to strengthen social cohesion.
The support comprised of the provision of bundles of straws, basic raw materials to produce baskets, tape measures and blades to 10 women each from Soe, Feo and Namoo communities in the district.
The intervention formed part of the “Enhancing Social Cohesion and Social Contract, through empowerment of women and youth in three Northern Regions of Ghana Project.”
It is jointly being rolled out by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) with funding from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund.
It is being implemented locally by the Meta Foundation in nine communities in the Bongo, Garu and Bawku West Districts in the Upper East Region.
The project which was benefitting border communities, aimed to provide income generating activities and economic empowerment to vulnerable households and individuals as part of measures to build their resilience against conflict and promote social cohesion.
Mr David Amozebga, the Programmes Manager of Metal Foundation, said the project formed part of measures to provide economic independence for vulnerable communities especially women and youth in nine communities in the Bawku West, Bongo, and Garu Districts.
“The project is targeting communities at the borders who are prone to conflicts, and it is meant to provide support to the less privileged to be able to enhance livelihood activities that they are doing,” he said.
The Programmes Manager explained that the project was targeting 240 beneficiaries from the three districts with various livelihood and income generating activities and interventions.
Apart from the support to the basket weavers, the project would also provide support to some selected hairdressers and dressmakers, small ruminants and guinea fowls farmers, vegetable farmers including the provision of seed packs, water pumping machine and its accessories among others to help improve upon their activities.
“We are also going to train others in Information and Communication Technology, mobile phones repairs. Others are also benefiting from complete package in terms of soap and detergent making,” he added.
Mr Amozebga advised the beneficiaries to put the support into effective use and reinvest the proceeds to expand their businesses, adding that when their income levels improved, it would help to reduce conflicts in the area and strengthen social cohesion in those communities.
The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to Meta Foundation and the UNDP and its partners for the intervention and added that it would boost their efforts to produce more baskets to attract higher prices and increase their income level.
Madam Mary Aduko, a basket weaver and beneficiary from the Soe community explained that prices of the straws were high, making it difficult for them to buy and added that the support will help them to improve production and their income levels.
“The basket weaving has helped me over the years to help provide for the home and buy books for my children to go to school and so the straw will help me to weave more baskets and get more money,” she said.
Madam Gladys Asoma, another basket weaver and beneficiary from the Feo community, said the support will help her to increase production and support to the family, and added that it will reduce conflicts in the family.
GNA