The Social Welfare and Community Development Department at the Akuapem North Municipal Assembly has organized a training programme in Akropong-Akuapem for the District LEAP Implementation Committee (DLIC) and community stakeholders.
The training aimed at helping these stakeholders to reassess the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) initiatives in selected communities within the municipality.
This effort aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (2), which seeks to create a hunger-free world by 2030 and reduce poverty. Alhaji Shamrock Gafaru, the Coordinating Director of the Akuapem North Municipal Assembly explained that the LEAP programme was designed specifically to identify and assist marginalized individuals in selected communities and help them to alleviate their challenges.
He outlined the programme’s primary goal of enrolling more vulnerable members while removing individuals who had been on the programme for an extended period but had made progress. However, he clarified that these participants would not simply be taken off the programme; they would receive a package to help them transition successfully.
Alhaji Gafaru urged community members to refrain from politicizing the programme, emphasizing that political parties may come and go, but the process would continue unwaveringly. He mentioned that the District Implementation Committee and various stakeholders have been established to minimize favoritism, cronyism, and bribery. He stressed that the selection process was purely based on interviews conducted by an independent group from the LEAP Secretariat.
He encouraged participants to carefully absorb all the information shared during the forum so they could effectively communicate it to their respective community members. During a brainstorming session, Madam Angelina Nagatey, the Head of Social Welfare and Community Development, explained that as part of the LEAP programme design, beneficiaries were to be reassessed every four years to confirm their ongoing eligibility for the programme.
She also mentioned that the team had planned several advocacy programmes to educate chiefs and opinion leaders, as well as churches, mosques, and faith-based organizations in all selected communities. In response to discussions on educating beneficiaries on how to acquire National Health Insurance Cards, Mr. Frederick Okai, the Public Relations Officer of the Scheme, commended the Social Welfare department and the implementation team for including this important aspect in the process.
He clarified that individuals no longer needed to be physically present to register but could do that on their mobile phones, and assured everyone that the National Health Insurance Scheme, was prepared to collaborate with the district implementation team to ensure that vulnerable members of society received the necessary assistance they needed.
Source: GNA
