By Philip Tengzu
Wechiau, (UW/R), July 18, GNA – Stakeholders in the Wa West District have recounted the impact of the Driving Resilience and Inclusion Against Violent Extremism (DRIVE) project in promoting inclusion and resilience of the communities against conflict and violent extremism.
They said the project had ensured inclusion of marginalised groups such as women, youth and the Fulbe communities in decision-making process at the community levels, which had helped ensure peaceful co-existence.
Speaking at the project’s closeout event at Wechiau, Mr Richard Wulo, the Wa West District Chief Executive (DCE), expressed gratitude to the Capacity Enhancement and Community Support (CAPECS) for choosing that district for the project.
CAPECS implemented the project with funding from the European Union through COGINTA to help address the growing insecurity and developmental threats, particularly the rise of violent extremism in the Sahel region.
Through the project, which was implemented in the Wa West, Sissala West and Wa East Districts, CAPECS trained heads of decentralised institutions in the three districts on the National Gender Police (NGP) and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI).
It also provided logistical support to the Gender Desk Offices, trained frontline staff of the Ghana Health Service on GESI and promoted constructive dialogues and engagement on GESI in the three districts.
The three districts were also supported to develop GESI strategies, which served as blueprints in making GESI a growing concern in their activities.
Mr Wulo explained that the project’s target of ensuring inclusion of women, Persons with Disability, the children and minority tribes had helped promote peace in the district.
Naa Yendao Girriba, the Chief of Piise, said women and the Fulbe people, for instance, were previously excluded from decision-making at the community, which the DRIVE project had helped address.
“Those days you would realise that if there was a meeting only men were at the meeting, and the few women that would come for the meeting would not speak.
“It was the same for the Fulbe people, they were not part of our meetings, but when the project came, it has made us understand the need to include women and the Fulbe people and even the youth in our meetings.
Today, when you call for meetings they are always the first people to be there and they make good contributions”, he explained.
Mr Crispin Yango, the Wa West District Coordinating Director, observed that the project had significantly improved GESI in the district as it had helped to ensure the involvement of socially excluded and minority groups in decision making processes.
He, particularly, mentioned the donation of a motorbike and a computer to the Gender Desk Office at the District Assembly as laudable as that had facilitated her work and enhanced activism on GESI issues.
Mr Abu Dokuwie Alhassan, the Executive Director of CAPECS, expressed gratitude to the stakeholders for their collaboration and support to the organisation in the project implementation.
He gave the assurance that his organisation would continue to work with the stakeholders in the district to enhance the livelihoods of the people.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Christian Akorlie