The National Project Coordinator of the Sustainable Rural Livelihood Project of the United Nations Development Programme, Mr. Kwami Edem Senanu, has said people should be empowered with skills and educated to know their assets for value addition towards their development.
He said people must be able to identify what they have at the community level and be able to develop a community action plan to engage the government and other development partners for support to improve their lives.
Mr. Senanu was addressing participants at a four-day workshop for four newly created districts on Sustainable Livelihood Projects in Tamale, on Thursday.
The districts include: Ofinso North, West Gonja, Bongo and Jirapa.
He said the project which started in 2006, had trained about 61 communities in Literacy Facilitation, Improved Seeds and Storage Facilities, Animal Traction, Small Ruminants Rearing and Dry Season Farming for Improved Livelihoods.
The Project Coordinator said people must have the ability to approach any authority from their dependence status to a pro-active sustainable livelihood through lobbying and advocacy.
He said the UNDP had developed a village community programme, which offers unique opportunity to provide local agents with extensive market information in 30 markets across the country.
Mr. Senanu said the mission was to improve incomes for the poorest by building healthier markets and providing market intelligence to the rural poor to make better informed decisions.