Biamboug appeal to Government for support

Biamboug (UE), Nov 5, GNA - The chief and elders of Biamboug in the Garu-Temapne District of the Upper East Region, had appealed to Government to provide them with portable water, school block and health facilities.

Nab Mbawine Atugbig, the chief, made the appeal when officials of CARE International, an international non-governmental organization (NGO), visited the community to assess the level of implementation of its Community Action Plan it had supported the people to develop.

He complained that the community of about 2,700 people, made up of Kusasis, Mamprusis, Bissahs, Bimmobas and Fulanis, had to travel to Akara, which was five Kilometres away from Biamboug, to fetch water, and children and toddlers commuted long distance from Biamboug to Akara to attend school.

Nab Atugbig said the people, including women in labour, had to travel long distance to Wuriyanga, which was nine kilometers away, for health care.

He praised the NGO for supporting the people to develop their own development plan most of which had been implemented.

Nab Atugbig said this had made men to release land for women for agricultural activities, brought an end to bush burning and indiscriminate cutting down of trees.

He said: “Community members have now adopted good farming practices, including composite making through the training we received under the project and this has led to an increase in crop production. The demonstration farms have also led to increase in crop production and many community members have already started adopting practices showcased on the demonstration farms”.

Madam Agnes Loriba, Project Manager for the Local Extension for Agricultural Development (LEAD) Project, under CARE International, asked the people to ensure that the rest of the plan was executed.

She called on the community members to constantly follow up to the District Assembly through the Assembly members to ensure the execution of their projects and to make sure that their action plans were incorporated into the assembly's annual action plan.

Madam Loriba urged the people to lobby other development actors for more projects instead of solely depending on the District Assembly.

Ms Ayishetu Mikey Iddrisu, Gender and Diversity Adviser of the NGO, said CARE ensured that the majority of women were involved in the development of the Community Action Plan so that the problems of women and children could be solved.

She indicated that CARE International had initiated the “Village Savings and Loans Association” made up women, who lend monies to themselves.

Some women of in the community commended CARE International for the initiatives and said the majority of them had established their own small businesses.

GNA