Mr Anthony Abayifaa Karbo, the Member of Parliament for Lawra Constituency, has facilitated the formation of women’s group to enhance resource flow into rural communities as a measure of alleviating poverty in the area.
More than 3,000 women from five zonal areas in the Lawra Municipality have registered with the group called Ti Deltaa Women’s Group, a Dagaare phrase, which literally means supporting each other.
The group which serves as a microfinance was launched over the weekend in Lawra by the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mrs Cynthia Morrison with the support of some Members of Parliament.
Mr Karbo told the gathering that his leadership as a lawmaker was not partisan and would not leave anybody behind in the effort to develop the constituency.
He said the Lawra Municipality is faced with several development challenges and government was taking practical steps to address them all including the construction of several road networks and school infrastructure.
He called on the indigenes of the area to come together as one people for the rapid development of the area to alleviate poverty and instil hope into the younger generation.
The scheme targets 5,000 women from its five zones in the Lawra Municipality namely: Eremon, Brifoh, Zambo, Babile and Lawra.
Mr Edmund Puoviel, Chairman of the Women’s Group, said the group, which sought to enhance the flow of resources to rural communities as a means of poverty alleviation, has registered 3,050 women.
He said they would actively pursue savings mobilisation as a component in a bid to strengthen the repayment capacity as well as building capital for future investment.
Mr Kennedy Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, was enskinned a development chief [Tengmaal Naa] of the Lawra Traditional Area.
He donated GH¢20,000.00 to support activities of the NGO and another GH¢10,000.00 to help meet the development needs of the Traditional Council.
Naa Puowelle Karbo III, Paramount Chief of Lawra Traditional Area, said the MP’s new skin name is Naa Kennedy Dery Agyapong.Mrs Cynthia Morrison also donated GH¢10,000.00 on behalf of the Gender Ministry and additional GH¢10,000.00 on behalf of the MPs who graced the occasion to the women’s group.
Madam Afia Akoto, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Microfinance and Small Loans Company (MASLOC), promised to present an undisclosed amount to the women within one week and prayed similar groups could be formed in each of the districts to alleviate poverty.
The scheme seeks to ensure direct participation in the creation and development of social capital, increase the amount of resources available to individual women and community as a whole for community development, build the entrepreneurial capacity and skills of the rural women folk as well as empower and improve the lives of the rural poor, particularly women.
Ti Delta Women’s Group is a community-based non-profit organisation focused on fighting poverty in the savannah zone of Ghana through the economic empowerment of rural women and the vulnerable.