By Emelia B. Addae
Koforidua, Sept. 10, GNA – The Department of Community Development has held a regional staff consultation in Koforidua to assess operational challenges and strengthen grassroots development as part of a nationwide engagement.
The meeting sought to identify challenges facing community development officers and chart a new direction for the department’s work at the district level.
Addressing staff in Koforidua, Mr Stephen Blay, National Director of the department, said it remained committed to promoting development in rural and peri-urban communities.
“Our mandate is to facilitate and ensure that every community in Ghana is developed, especially those in rural and peri-urban areas,” he added.
Mr Blay indicated that the department collaborated with other institutions to implement development programmes and improve livelihoods at the grassroots.
He explained that the consultations were intended to refocus officers on the department’s core responsibilities.
“My visit is to encourage officers to refocus on community education, mobilise communities to improve their living conditions, and provide skills and livelihood opportunities to make people financially independent,” he said.
Mr Blay noted that the department was also helping communities use digitalisation and innovation to market locally produced goods.
“We help communities leverage opportunities provided by digitalisation and innovation to market their products,” he stated.
He said community development officers played a critical role in helping people understand and benefit from government policies and initiatives.
“Our work will not be complete if we do not help people, especially those at the grassroots, to understand government policies and initiatives and benefit from them,” he said.
Mr Blay added that effective district and community-level coordination remained central to the department’s work.
He said the department had developed strategies to accelerate community development and improve living conditions nationwide.
Mrs Vera Lamiley Allottey, Eastern Regional Director of the department, said the institution had supported national development through community mobilisation and stakeholder engagement for 78 years.
“The Department of Community Development has existed for the past 78 years and continues to play a vital role in community mobilisation and engagement,” she said.
Mrs Allottey said the region was implementing UNICEF-funded child protection programmes and working with public and private institutions to strengthen community development.
“Our mandate is community mobilisation and engagement. We work with key stakeholders to address the needs of communities,” she noted.
She said the department collaborated with the Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service, National Commission for Civic Education, and private institutions, stating: “Community development requires a collective effort”.
Mrs Allottey disclosed that officers in all districts of the region had been trained to engage communities and support programmes aimed at improving people’s well-being.
The Eastern Region was the final stop on the National Director’s nationwide engagement tour after meetings with district officers in the other regions.
GNA
Editing by D.I. Laary/Linda Asante Agyei
Reporter: Emelia B. Addae
Email: [email protected]