MICRO PROJECTS COMMISSIONED

The District Chief Executive for Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese, Hon. Aba Edusah has commended the European Union/Government of Ghana (EU/GoG) Micro-Project Programme for its immense contribution to the socio-economic development of the district over the years.

According to the DCE, interventions by the Programme had facilitated provision of structures aimed at enhancing the quality of life of the people in the area. Among the focus of the Programme are education, water and sanitation, health and income generation.

Madam Edusah was speaking at the commissioning of projects under Phases I and II of the Sixth EU/GoG Micro-Project Programme at Batanyaa on September 8, 2009.

The projects consist of three 3-Unit Classroom blocks, twelve 10-seater vault chamber toilets, culverts for two communities and palm oil processing equipment for three communties.

The DCE said the educational infrastructure provided by EU/GoG Micro-Projects have contributed greatly to increase enrollment in schools and created healthy atmosphere for teaching and learning in the beneficiary communities while the places of convenience have also helped to improve environmental cleanliness.

She called on beneficiary communities to ensure that the facilities were well maintained to achieve the purpose for which they were provided.

The Zonal Coordinator for EU/GoG Micro-Projects Programme in charge of Central and Western Regions, Nana Nketsia Sarpong said the Programme was a community based rural development programmes aimed at assisting rural communities to have access to social facilities such as school buildings, teachers' quarters, day care centers, CHPS compounds, nurses quarters, toilets and culverts.

He noted that such facilities, when provided, resulted in increased school enrollment and also improvement in health delivery at the community level which in the long term enhanced the quality of life of the rural people.

Nana Sarpong emphasized that maintenance of the projects were very important and urged school authorities, the Parent-Teacher Associations, the District Assembly and the Ghana Education Service to make provision in the budgets for regular maintenance of school buildings.

Highlighting on the uniqueness of EU/GoG Micro-Projects, the Zonal Coordinator indicated that the type of project a community need was determined by the community itself according to the community's felt need adding that projects were, therefore, not imposed on communities by any authority.

He pointed out that in administration of Micro-Projects, beneficiary communities were empowered to make and implement decisions on their development needs.

According to Nana Sarpong, the underlying principle behind the Programme was that every beneficiary community must be willing to offer communal labour in addition to provision of sand and stones. Thereafter, all other materials as well as skilled labour cost pertaining to the facility was borne by the European Union/Government of Ghana Micro-Projects Programme.

F.A. Ebow Taylor
A.A.K. District Information Officer