By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bongo (U/E), Feb. 20, GNA – As part of efforts to build resilience and social cohesion against violent extremism, some women and youth in some border communities in the Bongo District in the Upper East Region, have received livelihood start-up kits.
This gesture is to strengthen the socioeconomic resilience of the residents of the border communities as part of strategies to enhance social cohesion, reduce vulnerabilities to violent extremism and poverty.
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,” implemented in nine communities in the Bongo, Bawku West and Garu Districts.
It is being implemented locally by the Meta Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) with funding from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA).
The beneficiaries, 45 in number, were selected dressmakers and hairdressers from Namoo, Feo and Soe communities and were given sewing machines and hair dryers with their accessories to support them to start and expand their trade.
Earlier, 30 basket weavers from the three communities were supported with raw materials such as straws, blade and tape measures, to help them expand their production and earnings, bringing the number to 75.
At a brief ceremony to handover the items to the beneficiaries in Bongo, Dr Mathias Awonnatey Ateng, Peace and Development Officer, United Nations Ghana, underscored the role of empowering women and youth to preventing violent extremism.
He explained that many countries in the Sahel region such as Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso had experienced violent extremists’ attacks, stressing that although Ghana had not been attacked, it was experiencing the effects of such attacks and was imperative for strategic measures to prevent infiltration of such activities into the country.
“As part of this project, our focus is on how we address the drivers of violent extremism in our communities and so we selected our communities deliberately with the intention of making change,” he said.
Dr Ateng stressed that by providing livelihood opportunities and supporting entrepreneurship, they could reduce the vulnerability of individuals to radicalisation and promote sustainable peace and development in Ghana.
“The idea is not just to provide security, but we believe that when we build the livelihood of people, then they are able to resist the temptation of joining violent extremist groups,” he added.
Mr David Amozebga, the Head of Programmes and Partnerships, Meta Foundation, said the project is targeting 240 people from the beneficiary communities and districts, with varied interventions that had the potential to provide economic independence and transform lives.
He mentioned that apart from capacity building trainings, the project aimed to provide start-up tools for people in the project areas to venture into dressmaking, hairdressing, dry season gardening, small ruminants rearing, soap making, basket weaving and mobile phones repairing.
“These are things that they are already doing so we expect that this support will help them to improve their working environment and help them to avoid falling prey to violent extremists due to their vulnerability,” he said.
He urged the beneficiaries to use the support to expand their businesses and improve their living standards.
Ms Patricia Nsoh, a dressmaker and beneficiary from the Bongo Soe Community commended Meta Foundation and the UN agencies for the support, stressing that the support will help her to set up her business and also train others.
GNA