Single mothers rated as poorest in Fanteakwa District

Begoro (E/R), Sept. 12, GNA - Stakeholders on the Welfare of "vulnerable and excluded" have identified poor single mothers as the most vulnerable and excluded group in the Fanteakwa District. The Stakeholders also identified children from poor parents and immediate dependants of people living with HIV/AIDS as the next most vulnerable group.

These findings were made known at a two-day workshop on poverty reduction strategies for the stakeholders at Begoro, to develop a procedure manual for policy makers in support of the "vulnerable and excluded".

The participants considered the incidence of occurrence, severity of vulnerability and rate of neglect to come out with their findings. Some of the causes identified to affect the vulnerable and excluded groups included broken homes, large family sizes, irresponsible fathers, the lack of occupational skills, unemployment opportunities, the lack of access to investment finance and non-participation in the development agenda in the community.

The participants advocated the provision of income generating activities and career guidance and counseling programmes for the vulnerable and excluded to enable them to make a decent living. Mr David Wellington Essaw, of Participatory Development Associates, Facilitator of the workshop, urged District Assemblies to develop pragmatic frameworks that would assist policy makers to provide a comprehensive support to the vulnerable and excluded in the society. Mr Essaw said the goals of the government's medium term development strategy would be defeated if the vulnerable and excluded were neglected in the planning process.

He said the workshop was the last of a series for 20 selected District Assemblies to prepare a reliable manual on the vulnerable and excluded.