VSLA intervention curbs domestic violence

There is a significant reduction of domestic violence at the Amanga community in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region as a result of the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) intervention.

It was pioneered by Tree Aid Ghana, NGO and its partner.

Under the VSLA model, 20 -30 people are made to form a group and provided with capacity building to contribute for a period to enable them take loans from the fund to undertake viable economic ventures.

Tree Aid Ghana with its local partner, Community Self-Reliance Centre, organised and built the capacity of nine of such groups, made up of total number of 224 comprising 224 females and 30 males.

The Assemblyman for the area, Mr Charles Atubiga lauded the efforts of the NGO and its partners, at the Annual VSLA Share out at Amanga, at the weekend.

He said the intervention has empowered a lot of the women to engage in economic activities such as shea processing into sheabutter and soap making, malt and pito brewing and animal rearing among others.

“As a result of this intervention, domestic violence in this community has reduced drastically.

“Unlike in the past where I have to intervene to solve many domestic violence issues together with the Domestic Violence and Victims Unit of Ghana Police Service. It is no longer so.

The incident has reduced drastically as result of the economic empowerment of the women who have now become self-reliance and contributing to the upkeep of their homes.

The community members particularly women are now more self-reliance than before”, Mr Autubiga said.

He said apart from many of the VSLA group members being able to pay for their children’s school fees up to the senior high and tertiary levels, the model has also led to a strong bond of unity among the community members.

The Assemblyman called on the two organisations to build the capacity of the groups to expand their businesses by going into piggery and cattle rearing.

He said they must also extend the model to other communities to empower more communities particularly women.

Mr Jonathan Naaba Anachem, Project Officer of Tree Aid Ghana, who commended the groups for contributing up to GH? 66,569.00 to be shared among themselves, entreated the groups particularly the women to use the money judiciously.

He stated that his outfit, apart from initiating the VSLA intervention, together with its local partner empowered the community to implement the Natural Resource Management project in District in 2012 which had yielded positive results.

Mr Anachem said Tree Aid Ghana beliefs in unlocking the potentials of trees to reduce poverty.

He said the majority of the community members have been empowered with in value added chain and are into sheanut processing.

He said Tree Aid Ghana has also built the capacity of the communities to undertake tree planting and the growing of vertiva grasses to protect rivers and streams as well as undertake mango grafting and pest management

The Project Officer stated that crop yields are now dwindling due to climate change and land degradation.

He said his outfit has formed Community Based Natural Resource Management teams in the 15 communities in the District to sustain the management of the project after its exit in 2016.

“Tree Aid Ghana has also supported some community members with Livestock’s’, improved seeds and wells in the communities all geared towards ensuring the effective management of natural resources.

“I therefore urge you to work hard to stabilise the success story to help preserve the natural resources for posterity.

“Natural Resource Management is not an easy task. You need to be dedicated, sacrificial, hardworking to achieve good results.”

Mr Mark Akparibo, Programme Coordinator of Community Self-Reliance Centre, stated that through the support of the Paramount Chief of Bongo, Naba Baba Salifu Aleemyaarum, the Bongo Tree Restoration Project, which is aimed at restoring depleted buffer zones of streams and rivers, are thriving.

The Paramount Chief expressed happiness about the project, adding that the traditional council with support from other stakeholders would work hard to ensure the sustenance of the project.