ASERD-Ghana officials with some beneficiaries in Damongo
A new project on Biodiversity and CREMA activities to be implemented by ASERD-Ghana with funding support from United Nations Development Programme _GEF _SGP in Ghana has been introduced in the West Gonja municipality of the Savannah region.
The project is titled, “Enhancing Mole Ecosystem and Biodiversity Conservation through Community-Based Resources Management and Apiculture Value-Chain Systems (MOLE-ECO BVC PROJECT)”, with funding support from United Nations Development Programme _GEF _SGP in Ghana.
The project is aimed at promoting acceptable environmental practices for improving the living conditions of communities using Apiculture as an alternative source of livelihood, whiles building their capacities to take control of promoting more inclusive governance and management of the natural resources around them, most especially the Mole National Park (MNP) in the West Gonja Municipality of the Savanna Region.
The Executive Director of Aid for Socio-Economic and Rural Development (ASERD-GHANA) Benjamin Dimongso Kafari, has encouraged community members to see projects within their Area as community-owned rather than the implementing organizations.
He disclosed this during community and stakeholder engagements with beneficiaries’ communities in Kananto, Kabampe, and Grupe.
According to him, the only way to sustain projects is for the beneficiaries to see the project belonging to them rather than the NGO hence his call. He further stated that projects over the years have failed because most beneficiary communities often see the projects as belonging to those implementing the project.
Mr. Kafari stressed the need for beneficiary communities to put all effort into ensuring the success of the project which will bring more projects or interventions towards the development of the area.
The Assemblyman for Apilso Electoral area, who doubles as the Presiding Member (PM) of the West Gonja Municipal Assembly, Mohammed Mumuni, in his remarks thanked ASERD-Ghana and the UNDP Ghana Office for bringing the project to the various communities for the betterment of lives of the people within the area and pledged to support ASERD-GHANA and UNDP towards a successful implementation of the project.
The chiefs and the communities with gratitude appreciated the donors for such an initiative to improve their livelihoods.
BY Eric Kombat, Damongo