NGO supports projects in Sissala District

Plan International, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) would spend 40 billion cedis (4,918,000 US Dollars) to support development projects in the Sissala District within the next three years.

Out of the amount, about 14.2 billion cedis would be spent on education, 12.2 billion cedis on livelihood and environment, 8.3 billion cedis on water and sanitation, 6.5 billion cedis on health and 385.5 million cedis on children's rights.

Mr Amaduo Bocoum, Country Director of Plan, announced this at Tumu on Friday, when he commissioned an office of the NGO to educate the people on the aims and objectives of the organisation.

He said Plan programmes involved community leaders, chiefs and political heads and were demand driven.

Mr Bocoum said the NGO, which started operations in the Central and Eastern Regions a decade ago, had assisted 144 communities to realise their development priorities and sponsored the education of 16,000 children.

"We shall also give micro-finance to groups and individuals to develop themselves," he added.

Mr Sahanun Mogtari, Upper West Regional Minister, called on the people to exhibit a high level of responsibility and to cooperate with the NGO to operate freely and effectively.

"Any community, which would put impediments on the way of the implementers would not only forfeit their share of the development projects but would also be blacklisted," he warned.

The Regional Minister called on the District Assembly to promote the operations of Plan and other NGOs in their efforts to eliminate poverty, which he said was a stumbling block to development in the northern sector of the country.

Mr Salifu Waah, District Chief Executive said under a memorandum of understanding between the District Assembly and the NGO, about 30 per cent of children would have access to quality education by 2005 while 60 per cent of mothers would have basic knowledge of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.