A stakeholder engagement to handover Labour Intensive Public Works (LIPW) Sub-Projects to beneficiary communities in the Dormaa East District was held in both Kofintished and Merenfiriwuo communities respectively.

The LIPW and its Sub-Projects forms part of the Ghana Productive Safety Net Projects (GPSNP) instituted by the Government of Ghana in collaboration with World Bank to alleviate poverty among poor communities in selected MMDAs across the country.

It has since 2011, offered temporary wage earning opportunities to poor households during agriculture off-seasons through their engagement to either create, rehabilitate or maintain public or community assets to improve productivity and relief support to both the direct beneficiaries and their communities.

The activities includes improving rural access roads to connect small communities to larger or commercial centers, digging small earth dams and dugouts especially for irrigation and other purposes, seedling production, cultivation of fruit and cash crop production such as cashew, palm, and coconut farms for their communities among other activities.

In all, over 800 individuals and 8 communities in the Dormaa East District have so far directly benefited from the projects. The projects include fruit and cash crop farming, rehabilitation of feeder roads, earth dam and dugouts as well as seedling production.

The Dormaa East District Planning Officer, Mr. Richard Roy Amoah led the Zonal Coordinator of the Project, the District Coordinating Director and others to handover two cashew farm projects at yielding stages to the two beneficiary communities; Kofintished and Merenfiriwuo.

At the handing over ceremony, the Zonal Coordinator who oversees projects in Ashanti and Bono Regions, Mr. Appau Karkari commended the communities for their hard work and persistence. He encouraged them to continue with such determination toward other projects for the development of their communities and the District.

He explained that a 7-member Committee each, which will include representatives from Nananom, the District Assembly, the Assembly Men, Account Holders and others is being formed to man the project for the overall benefit of the communities and the District.

On his part, the District Coordinating Director, Mr. Mark Maxwell Mensah was optimistic that such community’s commitment towards public works irrespective of the opposition will go a long way to develop the District and the country. He urged them to carryon in their usefulness to the community.

Some beneficiaries shared their views on the various benefits they have derived from the project as a result of their involvement.

They called on government to continue with such wage earning opportunities to enable them support their families and businesses during the off-seasons.

Source: Linda Osei Fobi, Dormaa East District Information Officer