United Purpose starts economic development project in B/AA
United Kingdom-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), United Purpose, has started a three-and-a-half-year economic development project in the Brong Ahafo Region aimed at promoting local growth and job creation among the youth in the communities.
The organisation is currently implementing a project titled: “Partnership for Accelerated Local Economic Development in Brong Ahafo,” which is benefiting the district assemblies: Kintampo South, Nkoranza North, Nkoranza South and Wenchi.
The project is working with 10,000 smallholder farmers, 500 agro-processors and 10 small and medium agribusinesses.
The Project Manager, Mr Raymond Yaotse, told the Daily Graphic that United Purpose, which was known as Concern Universal, had since 1976 been operating in 12 countries across the globe and been very supportive of the development of communities in Ghana.
He said the project was being funded by the European Commission with United Purpose as the lead organisation working in collaboration with Social Development and Improvement Agency (SODIA), an NGO at Bechem in the Tano South District, and the four beneficiary district assemblies.
Mr Yaotse explained that the project was contributing to promoting local economic development and job creation through agricultural and agribusiness development, while enhancing accountability and transparency in local governance.
The project also focused on improving the production and productivity of maize, cassava and cashew among the farmers in the beneficiary districts through capacity building and linkage to end markets while collaborating with other value chain actors.
It had also provided financial and technical assistance to the beneficiary districts to carry out community needs identification and prioritisation meetings in 60 communities.
Mr Yaotse said the community meetings were aimed at enhancing responsiveness and effectiveness in planning and delivery of local economic development by district assemblies because of increased citizen participation in governance and decision making.
He stated that the activities were meant to promote participatory planning and community’s contribution to the development of the next Medium-Term Development Plan (2018-2021) among the beneficiaries.
The outcome of the process revealed that communities identified and prioritised needs in the following development indicators: local economic development, education, health, water and sanitation, agriculture, energy, security, gender and vulnerability.