By Anthony Adongo Apubeo, GNA
Kongo (U/E), July 17, GNA – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Diocesan Development Organisation (NABOCADO), has provided livelihood support to residents of the Kongo community in the Tempane District.
The support is as part of efforts to build the resilience of vulnerable border residents and promote social cohesion.
As part of the intervention, 130 beneficiaries received various livelihood support packages, including sewing machines and accessories for trained dressmakers, weaving equipment for youth, goats for rearing, and agro-processing equipment for women’s groups.
The support seeks to improve the livelihoods of women and young people while addressing the underlying socio-economic vulnerabilities that fuel conflicts in border communities.
The initiative forms part of the implementation of the “Governance, Rule of Law and Peacebuilding for Sustainable Development Programme,” funded by the governments of Denmark, Luxembourg, and the Republic of Korea.
At the presentation of the livelihood support items to beneficiaries, Ms Melody Azinim, a Peace and Governance Analyst at UNDP Ghana, said the intervention formed part of the organisation’s flagship global peacebuilding programme, being implemented in several countries, with Ghana among the key beneficiaries.
She explained that the programme focused on strengthening peace infrastructures at both the national and community levels through development interventions that addressed the root causes of conflicts.
“Our focus is to ensure that infrastructures for peace are strengthened so that we continue to enjoy peace at the national and community levels,” she said.
Ms Azinim noted that the project placed particular emphasis on empowering women and young people through livelihood opportunities to enable them to improve their socio-economic conditions and contribute meaningfully to community development.
She said border communities often lagged in social and economic development despite their strategic importance in cross-border trade, making residents more vulnerable to conflict, crime, and other security challenges.
“We are looking at how to support women and young people to actively participate in cross-border trade while also strengthening knowledge and understanding of how to live peacefully in socially cohesive border communities,” she stated.
Ms Azinim said Kongo was selected because of its proximity to the Ghana-Togo border and the communal conflict that had occurred in the area over the years, making it an ideal location for interventions aimed at strengthening peace infrastructure and rebuilding livelihoods.
She indicated that similar interventions were also underway in selected border communities in the Savannah Region along the Ghana-Côte d’Ivoire border.
Mr Theophilus Abolga, the Director of Justice, Peace and Humanitarian Response at NABOCADO, said the intervention sought to build resilience and promote peaceful coexistence in Kongo, a community that had experienced recurring violent conflicts over the years.
He explained that the project was using livelihoods as a tool for peacebuilding by supporting residents to become economically self-reliant while fostering cooperation among the diverse groups in the community.
Mr Abolga said beneficiaries would also receive training in business management, financial literacy, and savings, while cultural exchange activities would be organised to further strengthen unity among the various ethnic groups.
He expressed optimism that the initiative would inspire residents to protect their livelihoods, reduce tensions, and work together to demand development for the community.
“We are using business to build peace. If the community becomes united through these livelihood interventions, they will have a common purpose and a stronger voice to pursue development,” he said.
Ms Zeliya Mamudu, a beneficiary thanked UNDP and NABOCADO and their partners for the support, adding that it would help to empower the women and youth in the area with employable skills to fend for themselves and their families, which will go a long way to prevent conflict.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/ Christabel Addo
Reporter: Anthony Adongo Apubeo
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