About 51 per cent of them are completely out of the poverty cycle.

The women were trained in skills such as construction of energy saving stoves, manufacturing of soap, back yard farming, production of compost manure, tree nursing and planting among others and supported to carry out the small businesses.

The various  women’s groups in the district including; the Tambaalug Shea Butter Association, Busum Women, the Siisi Women Association, and the Kolbore Communities, at a durbar at Siisi to mark the end of the project, gave their success stories and commended the Presbyterian Agricultural Station and Oxfam Ghana for successfully implementing it.    They said the project had taken them out of poverty.         The Tambaalug shea butter Women’s Association said the training and support given them in making pastries, petty trading, livestock rearing, tree planting and post-harvest management had brought meaning to their lives, adding that the project had aided them to fight poverty.

Mr Obed Asunka, the Project Officer, urged the beneficiaries to continue practising the skills acquired and use it to impact the lives of others so as to bring about uniform development in the communities. Mr Asunka said the project sought to improve the livelihood security and adaptive capacity of vulnerable farm families and local institutions to climate change impact in the district

He said the two organisations would continue to support the communities with equipment and other amenities that would help them achieve the intended aim of the project. He said PAS-G and Oxfam had already donated some equipment including; crashers, mills and electronic motors to the women beneficiaries.

Mr Benjamin Ayongo, the Officer in charge of safety and rural fires of the Ghana National Fire Service in the Garu-Tempane District, charged the people to desist from bush burning as it was harmful to the development of the communities.

Mr Kelly Iddrisu, the Officer in charge of Planning at the Garu-Tempane District Assembly, commended the effort of the two organisations and said the Assembly was prepared to collaborate with developers to improve the lives of the people.

Mr Iddrisu urged the community members to prepare proposals for development projects so that the Assembly would include them in its short and medium term development plans.