The project, which was funded by Children Believe (CB), an NGO, comprised a consulting room and storerooms, among other facilities.

The Country Manager of Children Believe (CB), formerly known as Christian Children Fund of Canada, Mrs Esenam Kavi Desouza, said in the last three years, her outfit had focused on improving early childhood development by promoting good health and nutrition through the provision of positive and responsible care giving and security, including ensuring the safety of children and creating opportunities for early learning.

According to her, the centre was the first of two child welfare facilities the organisation and its partners had provided in the Northern and Upper East regions.

She said the initiative was born out of the need to bring newborn and child health services to the doorsteps of rural communities as part of effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal Three, which is good health and wellbeing.

Collaboration

The Northern Ghana Programme Leader of Assemblies of God (AG) – Care Ghana, a civil society organisation, Madam Frieda Billa, also said since March 2015, the two organisations and other stakeholders had been working together in the implementation of various programmes to empower people in rural communities.

She said one of their major focus was early childhood development and the adoption of an integrated approach to enhance early care and stimulation for children from 0-3 years, and also support health and nutrition, early child education, advocacy and training of child rights and protection, among others.

Commendation

In a speech read on her behalf, the Yendi Municipal Director of Health, Hajia Hajara Haruna, expressed appreciation to their benefactors for the intervention.

She said AG-Care had been assisting the directorate in the training of staff on family planning and other programmes.

The director said the centre was under the Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound zone in Kpaligagbine and urged the people to endeavour to patronise the facility for it to be upgraded to a clinic.

The Yendi Municipal Director of Education, Mr Kudzo Lawoe, also expressed the appreciation of the people for the project.

For his part, the Chief of Zagbang, Na Alhassan Iddrisu, further appealed to the benefactors to help sink a borehole in the area.