Women groups in Upper East benefit from MASLOC

Bolgatanga, May 3, GNA - Twenty women groups in the Upper East Region have benefited from a disbursement of 261,800 Ghana cedis from the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC).

The 457 women who were presented with cheques were drawn from the Bolgatanga, Bawku, and Kassena-Nankana municipalities, Bawku West, Talensi and the Builsa South districts.

Mrs Sedina Tamakloe, Chief Executive Officer of MASLOC, impressed upon the beneficiaries to repay their loans on time to allow their colleagues to also benefit.

She said President John Dramani Mahama was concerned about the welfare of women who contributed significantly to national development and that explained why about 90 per cent of MASLOC beneficiaries were women.

'It has been proven beyond reasonable doubts that women are good managers of homes and when they are empowered, it will trickle down to all members of the household, particularly children, and that explains why the scheme is much concerned of the empowerment of women,' she said.

Mrs Tamakloe entreated women who were not part of the package to remain patient as they would benefit from subsequent packages.

'There are over 11 million women in Ghana and almost everyone needs the support yet the resources are limited. We are doing everything possible to ensure that more women benefit,' she said.

Mrs Tamakloe admonished the women groups not to spend lavishly on funerals and other ceremonies and urged them to aspire higher to become economic independent.

She said they could only become economic independent through engaging in profitable ventures and savings to expand their businesses.

Speaking to the leaders of the women groups, they indicated that some of their members who benefited from the scheme in the past had improved upon their living conditions particularly in the areas of paying their children school fees and the National Health Insurance Scheme.

The leaders lauded the efforts of the Management of the Scheme and appealed to it to ensure that more of the groups benefitted in subsequent disbursement.

Mr James Tiigah Zuugah, the Upper East Regional Minister, and the political heads of the beneficial districts who also expressed their gratitude for the support, impressed upon the CEO to pay much attention to the area since it was endemic with poverty.

GNA