The Association said, the provision of farm implements such as tractors and fertilizers would help them to engage in full time agriculture and improve their livelihoods.

Madam Agnes Naamwindor, the President of the Association made the appeal during the 7th Annual Congress of the Association in Kalba in the Sawla-Tuna Kalba district of the Savannah region.

The ceremony was under the theme: "Nursing the Baby Savannah Region Through Agriculture and Formal Education".

The Birifor Women Association is a women empowerment group, in Sawla-Tuna Kalba district, that seeks to enforce women participation into developmental activities in their communities as well as participate in national development.

Madam Naamwindor said many women in the region had developed interest to go into large scale and commercial farming but lacked funding and support in order to assist them venture into the large-scale agriculture.

Madam Naamwindor said the Association, though with limited funds, had acquired a plot of land to start the construction of a school for children to improve access to education in the area.

She acknowledged the effort of some benevolent people who had supported the association with some items to help achieve its aim but added that the association was facing some challenges to raise the needed capital and called for more support from government and other philanthropic organizations.

She called on everyone, especially women, to help play vital roles in ensuring that there was peace, unity and development in the Savannah region.

Mr Salifu Adam Braimah, the Savannah Regional Minister said the theme of the ceremony was timely and appropriate since the Savannah region was very young and needs to be nursed through formal education and agriculture in order to catch up with the other existing regions.

He said government was, however, instituting policies and programmes such as the free Senior High school and planting for food and jobs, to improve the lives of women through education and agriculture.

Mr Braimah said, for 2019, government was targeting one million farmers across the country with at least 4,000 farmers including women groups registering in each district.

"So far in Sawla-Tuna-Kalba district, about 756 females representing 22 per cent participated in the registration process" he said

He said, as a way of empowering women against poverty, more than 400 women were currently benefiting from the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty programme in 39 of the communities in the district whiles government was making efforts to increase the number to 2,500 people this year.

He gave the assurance that government was committed to making sure that it improves the livelihoods of the people of the Savannah region through health, education, agriculture, water and sanitation, among others.

Mr Adrew Dari Chiwitey, the Member of Parliament for the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba Constituency said throughout history, the central role of women in society especially in the areas of education and agriculture had ensured stability, progress and long-term development of nations. 

He, therefore, called on the Birifor Women Association to step up in their performance in terms of education and agriculture to make Sawla-Tuna-Kalba district and the Savannah region a better place to live in.

Mr Chiwitey, however, expressed worry over the recent increase in arm rubbery cases and poor nature of the roads linking Tuna and Kalba and appealed to the government for intervention.