LEAP BEGINS IN WEST GONJA DISTRICT

LEAP BEGINS IN WEST GONJA

By Alhassan Mesuna, Mognori

The Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) is being implemented in the West Gonja District of the Northern Region. Ghana Post, National Youth Employment Programme and the Department of Social Welfare are the grassroot implementers.

At a ceremony in Mognori in the West Gonja District to transfer cash to beneficiary heads of households. Mr. Osman Iddrisu the West Gonja District Social Welfare Officer stated that LEAP is a component of the National Social Protection Strategy intended to enhance the capacity of the poor and vulnerable persons by assisting them to manage socio-economic risks such as sickness, disability, old age and unemployment. This intervention according to him is meant to improve the livelihood of the extreme poor by reducing the impact of risk and shocks that they confront in their daily lives.

Mr. Osman revealed that because of last year’s flood disaster West Gonja is being catered for under the emergency LEAP where a cash transfer of Fifteen Ghana cedis (Ghc15.00) would be paid to each beneficiary for six months beginning from September, 2008 to February, 2008.

On her part, Hon. Jambia Alhassan, DCE for West Gonja District Assembly mentioned that the implementation of LEAP is a clear manifestation of government commitment to invest in people so as to reduce hardships and unemployment in the country. Hon. Jambia explained that after last year’s floods, government had never relented in its efforts to ensure that victims of the disaster are restored to normal life. This she said shows the difference between a listening and caring government and the others which are not.

The DCE urged beneficiaries to put the support into good use to achieve the desire of government in fighting extreme poverty in the country. She enjoined the people not to politicise the programme so as to avoid discrimination.

Beneficiaries were selected from communities that were badly affected by the floods last year