7 ORGANISATIONS HELP NORTHERN FLOOD VICTIMS (PAGE 22, JULY 23, 2010)

THE European Union through Care International and Oxfam Great Britain and five Ghanaian non–governmental organisations is implementing a Food and Agricultural Recovery Management Programme in selected vulnerable communities affected by the 2007 and 2008 floods in the three northern regions.
Known as FARM PLUS, the programme is being implemented in the Jirapa, Nadowli and Lawra districts in the Upper West Region, Garu–Tempane District (Upper East) and East Mamprusi District (Northern Region).
The objective of the programme is to contribute to the fight against poverty by ensuring access to food for all and increased social protection, particularly those affected by food price hikes in northern Ghana with the expected immediate output being improving communities access to food, seed and agricultural inputs, among others.
Beneficiaries of the programme will provide labour for work to be undertaken within the communities in a food–for–work model. The model ensures that the beneficiaries work together to provide labour for the construction of household storage structures, animal pens and dug–outs for dry season garden.
As part of the activities to meet the primary objective of FARM PLUS, ProNet North, the implementing partner in the Nadowli District has organised a fair for the beneficiaries.
In an address read on behalf of the Executive Director of ProNet North, Mr Martin Dery, he said 1,800 vulnerable households drawn from 40 communities participated in the fair.
He said 635 beneficiaries from 14 communities were given food for the eight-week period they participated in community work through a voucher worth GH¢86 cash value for work done to purchase food and fertiliser.
He expressed the hope that the model would be replicated by other partners and the government to ensure that as many communities as possible would have food security in times of crises.
For his part, on official of Care International, Mr Isaac Bayor advised the beneficiaries to use the items given them to support themselves rather than selling them.
In a keynote address, the Nadowli District Chief Executive, Mr Abu Kasangbata thanked the financiers of the programme for their support and expressed the hope that it would go a long way to alleviate the suffering of the people.