Social worker appeals to CBOs to involve communities in planning

Techiman, Sept 2, GNA - Mr Ingo Stung, Counterpart Coordinator of Ecumenical Association for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (ECASARD), has appealed to Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to work towards meeting challenges facing communities through participatory rural approach.

He said the process whereby CBOs and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) "dump their ideas and interventions on communities without their involvement does not augur well for the development of the people". Mr Stung was addressing representative of 30 CBOs attending a five-day workshop on development education and leadership skills at Techiman.

The workshop, sponsored by ECASARD, is aimed at empowering CBOs to function effectively as agents of change in communities. Mr Stung said the community participatory approach in the development of interventions would enable the communities to prioritise their needs for the benefit of the people.

He asked CBOs to work hard to meet challenges facing them to ensure their survival.

Dr King David Amoah, National Coordinator of ECASARD, said donors provided 44.4 per cent of funds provided for ECASARD training activities.