105 households to benefit from LEAP

Tanoso (B/A), June 9, GNA- A total of 105 households in four communities in the Techiman municipality have been selected to benefit from the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP). The beneficiary communities are Tanoso, Tuobodom, Asueyi and Kenten.

Mr Mawutor Ablo, Deputy Director of the Social Development department of the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment, said the second LEAP cash transfer to the beneficiaries had been sent through the Ghana Post Company Limited. He said the programme started this year as a pilot programme and was being implemented under the National Social Protection Strategy in 21 districts throughout the country.

The Deputy Director said the programme was solely funded by the government of Ghana, through budgetary provision, to help alleviate poverty in the respective communities. Mr Ablo said the programme was also receiving support from the Department for International Development (DFID) and UNICEF through the capacity building of staff of the Social Welfare, to enable them to administer and manage the programme effectively. He disclosed that 32 additional districts would soon be selected to benefit from the LEAP programme by the end of the year. Mr Ablo said under the programme, beneficiaries would receive a minimum of between GH¢ 8 and GH¢ 15 every two months. He advised members of community LEAP implementation committees to vigorously monitor the funds disbursed.

Mr Patrick Acheampong, Head of community care programme of the Department of Social Welfare, admonished beneficiaries to put the resources to good use to justify the investment by the government and the Social Welfare LEAP programme. He also charged beneficiaries not to misuse the money but to invest in viable ventures that would help promote their livelihood. Mr Gabriel Owusu Sarpong, Techiman Municipal Director of the Department of Social Welfare, asked care givers not to divert the money for their own use and rather ensure that it reaches the intended recipients. He said new registration of households was being processed and that under the National Social Protection Strategy, the LEAP programme would be expanded to benefit more people in Techiman municipality.