The Capacity Enhancement and Community Support (CAPECS-Ghana), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has empowered 72 vulnerable women to boost their economic resilience in the Kwapun community in the Sissala East Municipality.
The initiative was to boost the women’s inclusion in decision-making and peacebuilding in the community.
The intervention was under theme: “Improving Economic Resilience of Host Communities for Peacebuilding in Northern Ghana (PERCH)” project being implemented by CAPECS Ghana in partnership with UNDP, with funding from the U.S. Government and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
The beneficiaries, who included indigents and asylum seekers in the community, were empowered through climate-smart agriculture, access to finance, and sustainable livelihoods.
As part of the intervention, 41 women received certified vegetable seeds, including okoro, tomato, pepper, onion, garden eggs, and cabbage, to enable them to engage in all-year-round vegetable production.
The intervention was also to help strengthen social cohesion between the host communities and asylum seekers in border areas.
Presenting the item to the beneficiaries, Mr Abu Dokuwie Alhassan, the Executive Director of CAPECS-Ghana, thanked the UNDP, the United States Government and IOM for the support.
“Our partnership has not been long, but it has yielded a significant impact in the Upper West Region.
I pray that our partnership will continue to be so that together we can help deprived communities, women, and youth across the Upper West Region,” he said.
He expressed hope that the certified seeds would help improve livelihoods by encouraging the beneficiaries to venture into vegetable production, which would significantly enhance household food and nutrition security.
Mr Alhassan indicated that the project had also supported 31 vulnerable groups with small ruminant rearing (goats and pigs), detergent, and shea butter processing, among others, to improve the livelihoods and economic resilience of the people.
The beneficiaries had also been organised into the Village Saving and Loans Association (VLSA) to enable them to access resources to support their businesses while promoting social cohesion
“The organisation of the VSLA is to help the indigents, refugees, and asylum seekers to come together and raise capital for investment in their businesses,” he added.
Some beneficiaries expressed gratitude to CAPECS-Ghana and its partners for the support and said it would greatly strengthen peace and promote social cohesion in the community.
The project had constructed and handed over a solar-powered mechanised water system to the Kwapun community.
In addition, a 10,000-litre-capacity overhead tank and 1.2 acres of fenced land had been provided to support the women and youth beneficiaries in the community in year-round vegetable production.
