NGO launched to empower Fanteakwa South communities

The Rural Empowerment Advocacy Project LBG (REAP), a non-profit organisation, was last weekend launched at Akyem Juaso in the Fanteakwa South District in the Eastern Region to empower communities and individuals with livelihood programmes.

With the Fanteakwa South District as the starting point, the NGO would empower communities in the area through technical and vocational support, charity, support livelihood empowerment programmes and support in the area of infrastructural development.

The launch, which was held on the theme: “Empowering rural communities/individuals with livelihood support, the role of the entire citizenry”, brought together government officials and stakeholders in the Fanteakwa South District. 

Empowerment

At the launch, the Founder of REAP, Samuel Ohene Nyantakyi, said the NGO was duly registered with a mandate of empowering rural communities with technical and vocational support, charity, livelihood empowerment programmes and support in the area of infrastructural development.

“Government will always do its part but it needs private individuals and entities as an engine of support and growth.

This is why the theme was carefully chosen to re-echo to the general public that development starts with you and I,” he said.

Mr Nyantakyi announced that in few years the NGO aimed to construct a vocational training and resource centre in the Fanteakwa South District, where it will house its empowerment activities.

He thanked the NGO’s partners, including Tiwajo Industries who are into cosmetics and soap making and the Asustem Robotics Academy who offer hands-on inquiry-based approach to exploring STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) subjects through projects featuring robotics, IT and engineering. 

Launch

Launching the Project, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Fanteakwa South, Kofi Okyere-Agyekum, commended the founder for his dedication and commitment to see development in Fanteakwa South.

“Such initiatives are driven by God. Personally, I did same during my youthful days and in the 90s gave scholarships to many individuals in this district, so I see this project as a good prospect for the future,” he said.

The MP observed that most NGOs targeted more communities in the northern part of the country to the disadvantage of the south and urged them to consider bringing more projects to the south to spread development throughout the country. 

“This district has seen a lot of development in terms of education, health infrastructure and in fact security.

Approval has been given for a District Police Command and more police stations across the communities in this district including Akyem Juaso,” he said. 

For his part, the District Chief Executive, Fanteakwa South, Ernest Ofosu, said his office was grateful to add another NGO to the already existing NGOs in the district and was optimistic that would spur development in Fanteakwa South.

The Chief of Osino and patron of the NGO, Osabarima Otu Darko IV, who chaired the launch, emphasised that as a traditional leader, any initiative to alleviate poverty from his people and develop his area was welcome. He gave an assurance that his outfit would give REAP all the necessary support to operate.

Together in a goodwill message, the Fanteakwa South District Director of Education, Richard Akosah Addo; the Social Welfare Director, Daniel Ayariga and the Director of Health, Margaret Nyarko, pledged their support to REAP to enable it to implement its project successfully in the District.