CLIP launches project to enhance socio-economic resilience of cross border communities. The Changing Lives in Innovative Partnerships (CLIP), a civil society organisation in Northern Ghana, has launched an 18-month project to strengthen the socio-economic resilience of cross border areas in the face of the regional security crisis.
The project dubbed: “Support for the Populations Affected by Sahel Crisis in Northern Guinea, La Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Benin”, (APAC) is being implemented in six priority districts in the Upper East and Upper West Regions namely Bawku West, Garu, Kasena-Nankana West, Lambussie-Karni, Sissala West and Sissala East Districts.
The project is being implemented in partnership with Acting for Life, a French organisation, with funding support from the Crisis Support Centre (CDCS) through the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Participants during the launch included key stakeholders from the various districts and other CSOs.
Mr. Lukman Yussif, Director of CLIP, speaking during the launch in Tamale, said it was to provide support and build the resilience of cross border areas to enhance peaceful coexistence between the communities and the refugees drawn into the country because of the prevailing tension from the Sahel regions including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Northern Niger.
He said: “The cross-border areas have received several herders, due to the insecurities in the Sahel regions.
“So, it is prudent that we take the necessary steps to avoid any possible clashes between the nomadic men and the communities” hence, the project.
He said the project would amongst other things provide support for refugee livestock farmers, especially those extremely vulnerable, female heads of households and young adults, host households and guardians taking care of disaster victims.
Mr. Yussif said the project would adopt a stabilisation mechanism, which would empower local authorities to manage the livestock sector for sustainable development as well as undertake conflict prevention efforts, targeting rural areas to avoid escalations.
It would also collaborate with the various beneficiary districts to facilitate the vaccination of about 4,535 livestock to help minimise the spread of diseases.
Mr. Yussif appealed to the various stakeholders in the districts to support the project to enhance peace, stability, and sustainable development.
Mr. Abubakari Musah, Director of Administration, Upper West Regional Coordinating Council, lauded the project saying it would help boost socio-economic activities and strengthen bilateral relations with the neighbouring countries.
He added that the project’s implementation would also help address needless clashes and confrontations between the herders and the communities.
Mr Iddi Musah, an Assistant Director of Administration at the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council said the project would complement the government’s vaccination campaign agenda, which was currently ongoing in the country to minimise the spread of diseases.
He gave assurance to support the initiative, urging other stakeholders in the area to embrace it for sustainable development.
Source: GNA
