Five hundred Ghanaians have benefited from various community-based projects rolled out across four different areas within the Jaman enclave in the Bono Region to create youth employment.

The returnee migrant and potential migrant project which is the brainchild of GIZ, German Development Corporation and IOM saw beneficiary communities including Mpuasu which harbours the cattle ranch project, Japekrom which concentrates on the Aturu Nkonkonkyia II Community Vocational Centre, Atuna Gari Processing Factory in the Jaman South Municipality and Jamera Gari Processing Factory in the Jaman North District.

The four projects which received funding from the funding partners namely GIZ, Ghanaian - German Centre for Rehabilitation (GGC), the United Nation's - International Organisation for Migration (UN -IOM) was implemented by BOK Africa Concern, a Berekum-based NGO at a cost of Ghc780,000.

Fulfilment of request

Speaking at a handing-over of the cattle ranch project at Mpuasu in the Jaman South Municipality, Nana Takyi Mensah, Chief of Mpuasu indicated that the project was in fulfilment of a request made by him after a community entry assessment made about a year ago by the NGO and its funding agencies for the provision of the ranch mainly influenced by the area's grassy fields.

He praised both the local and international organisations for working together to build the ranch and providing 10 cattle comprising three bulls and seven cows, stressing that the investment in youth development in agriculture and its attendant income-generating activities could be made from the sale of the cattle for the development of the entire community.

Mr William Okofoh Datteh, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Jaman South Constituency, stated that efforts were being made for the provision of electric poles to connect electricity to the water reservoir and mechanised borehole, to pump water for the cattle. He revealed that a similar one at Atuna had already been connected.

He added that the project was the only one in the Jaman South Municipality and was optimistic it would boost the protein stock of people of the area.

Project Manager commendation

Mr Florian Braendli, the Project Manager, International Organisation for Migration, Ghana, expressed appreciation to all for supporting a concrete, tangible and sustainable project to assist the Mpuasu community.

He was satisfied with the collaboration with BOK Africa Concern for the construction of the ranch as part of the assistant for the returnee and potential migrants project that went beyond animal farming and included training on cattle rearing.

He thanked the German Development Corporation(GIZ) for supporting the project which was launched in 2018 to help reintegrate migrants successfully, and make the programme sustainable without any stigmatisation involved.

"Since 2018, we have not only offered support to migrants in Ghana but have embarked on a total of eight collective projects in the communities in the Bono and Ahafo Regions", he added.

He continued that the ranch would create "wealth, opportunity and gains which can be invested, expressing the hope that this project will be a symbol for the youth in the area to shun irregular migration".