NGO supports 56 artisans in Upper West

Wa, Oct. 28, GNA - Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP) a non- governmental organization on Friday presented working tools valued at over 60 million cedis to 56 artisans in the Upper West Region. The tools, which were donated by Tools for Self-Reliance, a United Kingdom based non-governmental organization include masonry, carpentry, sewing and leather works tools.

About 118 people have so far benefited from the facility between June and October this year alone as 62 of them benefited from a similar donation in June.

Mrs Helen Koranteng, Assistant Programme Manager of CEDEP, who presented the tools to the beneficiaries, said it was the organisation's contribution towards poverty reduction in the Region.

Apart from the donation of tools to artisans, she said her outfit was also engaged in primary health care, gender and good governance and basic education and sustainable livelihood among others. The Assistant Programme Manager advised the recipients against selling their tools as that would defeat the purpose for which Tools for Self-Reliance was donating the tools to them.

She gave the assurance that a better monitoring system would be instituted to ensure that the tools were used to the maximum to benefit the general public in the Region.

She said a total of 450 artisans had so far benefited from the programme since its inception in 1998 and advised those who have not received anything not to give up in their quest for working tools. Mr Lawrence Azam, Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare said it was important for CEDEP to closely monitor beneficiaries to find out if they were using the tools to fight poverty. He appealed to the beneficiaries to form cooperatives that would make them attract more support from financial institutions and donor agencies. Mr Peter Adasi, Regional Manager GRATIS Foundation, who chaired the function, said the use of the tools to fight poverty would encourage the donors to send more support and warned them against laziness and complacency.