326,000 people in 17 districts of the northern region to benefit from US Gov’t support

More than 326,000 people in 17 districts of the northern region are benefit from 60 million dollars USAID support initiative entitles, Resiliency In Northern Ghana (RING).

The initiative will improve the livelihoods and nutritional status of the poorest of the northern region households with emphasis on pregnant women and lactating women and children under-five years of age.

The RING project is expected to help increased food security, improve consumption of diverse quality food, and enhance- nutrition and hygiene-related behaviours to improve health and resiliency of families.

The project will focus on vulnerable families, helping to improve their health status and also enable them to resist unforeseeable shocks such as droughts, floods and fluctuating of food prices. 

The American people are providing up to 28 million dollars of the RING’s funds directly to the Government of Ghana through ministry of finance for disbursement to the targeted 17 district assemblies and the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (NRCC) in the region.

Briefing the USAID team led by its mission director in Ghana, Cheryl Anderson, the Northern Regional Coordinating Director, Alhaji Issahaku Alhassan at the official signing ceremony of implementation letters at NRCC for four beneficiary districts said, financial assessment risk is a key factor under the RING project.

Explaining the current status of the project, Alhaji Issahaku said Sababo and Cheriponi which were first selected base on their financial risk assessment received funds through NRCC from USAID to kick start the project for the implement three months work plans and budget. The selection criteria he said was rigorous adding financial risk assessment were a key factor. 

Four districts, including East Mamprusi, Central Gonja, Nanumba South and Nanumba North he said had finalized their work plans and budgets and submitted it to the USAID for approval.    

Alhaji Issahaku Alhassan on behalf of northern regional minister assures USAID for their support to ensure that benefit of project accrued for the people.

A training workshop with the department of social welfare to trained six districts under the selection criteria. The involvement of social welfare he explained was base on their previous work on similar projects which has to do with the vulnerable such as Livelihoods Empowerment against Poverty (LEAP). “You realized that we kept emphasising that it is to improve livelihoods nutritional status; one the major issues we had to do is to ensure that we real identify people who are vulnerable Alhaji Issahaku noted’’.   He said the NRCC don’t intend in implementing the project to creating parallel system, hence their reliance on them to be able come out with the selection criteria for the districts. 

The next of the beneficiary districts according to the director would be brought on board depending on their performance during the financial risk assessments. ”The basic thing is that you must be assess in terms of your financial risk to ensure you are in a position  as a district whatever funds would be release to you he said’’.

Districts that performed poorly at the risk assessment the director said would be assisted technically by the USAID to assist them manage the project.  He pledge on behalf of NRCC for their continue support and assured that for the success of the project.

The success of the project Alhai Issahaku observed would not only going to bring good benefit the people but also generate interest and further support from other bodies.

He urged the beneficiary districts to challenged themselves that whatever support received from USAID is only to complement their normal programs and do their best to sustain RING and also to undertake similar projects for the benefit of the people.

The USAID Mission Director in Ghana, MS Cheryl Anderson said the RING project forms part of US government international efforts on aid effectiveness. Ms Cheryl Anderson USAID said President Obama initiated the Feed the Future program several years ago and that Ghana was one of the priority countries in the world. The program, Ms Cheryl Anderson said focus on food security and nutrition in northern Ghana, USAID was aimed at complementing the effort with very focus program targeting the most vulnerable households to enable the  districts help them come out form poverty in a sustainable way.  

The RING program according to Ms Cheryl Anderson shows US government commitment to international efforts in aid effectiveness decrease underweight among children under-five. The district Chief Executive of Nanumba South, Alhaji Seidu Amidu on behalf of the beneficiary districts thanked US government for their continue support and assured their commitment to the implementation.

The US government through USAID and the government of Ghana through officials from four districts assemblies signed four project implementation letters in Tamale on July 29, 2013 for initial 3 million dollars. DCEs and Coordinating Directors from Nanumba South and Nort, Central Gonja and East Mamprusi signed for Ghana while Ms Cheryl Anderson signed for USAID.