Jimbale women appeals for financial assistance

Jimbale (N/R), Jan 29, GNA- Women in the Jimbale area in the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo District of the Northern Region, who lost their sources of livelihood during the Bimoba-Konkomba conflict, in September last year, have appealed to government for financial assistance to help them revamp their collapsed businesses. The women said before the eruption of the conflict they were engaged in petty trading, pito brewing, farming, groundnut oil extraction, sewing and hair dressing. They said this at various meetings at Jimbale, Kpekyala, Wawa and Mongoul, all in the district, during which they were led in discussions by personnel of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Diocesan Development Office.

The women met in groups to discuss how they could start their businesses after fire destroyed their properties and also talked about the role they could play to ensure peace in their area. They explained that the conflict took all of them by surprise and they could not protect the properties including cooking utensils and clothes that were burnt to ashes. The women said they had formed groups of about 50 depending on their businesses, and took loans from the bank to engage in pito brewing, petty trading, groundnut and rice farming and hair dressing. They also contributed amounts of money each week (Susu) for one member and that helped them to carry on with their work.

The women also called on government to provide the communities with good drinking water and clinics. They said the few wells in their communities dried up during the dry season and they had to walk long distance to fetch water from streams. The women also expressed worry that the only clinic in the area had been closed down and those in the remote communities had no access to community health services. They complained that expectant mother were delivered of their babies by old women and if labour was prolonged they were carried on donkey carts to Bunkpurugu Centre or Bendi Health Centers, a distance of more than 10 km. The women called on the Bimoba and Konkomba people to bury their differences and unite for the development of the area. Reverend Sisters Mary Okeke and Bernardine Pemii who led the women in the discussions, explained that the Diocese was organizing the meetings to help the people to identify their priorities so that they could initiate plans to improve upon the standards of living. He said it was also aimed at fostering peace in the area and to solicit support either in cash or kind for the people. Naba Kpamka Minpak, Chief of Mangoul, said peace had returned to the area adding that the people were busy renovating their houses and once again freely visiting each other. He commended the Diocese for organising the peace talk, saying the previous meeting that brought all the five Chiefs of the area together was very useful and had helped them to reconcile. Jabar Binguob, an elder who spoke on behalf of the Chief of Jimbale, Naba Yaw Binguob said it was time the people forgot about the past and plan for the future. Violent conflict broke out in the Jimbale area between the people of Bimoba and Konkomba last September and fire was set to many houses and shops.