ISODEC adopts community participation to alleviate poverty
The Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) is embarking on a project to help alleviate poverty and improve the livelihoods of people at Kwame Anum, a community in the Ga West district, through community initiative and participation.NOVIV ?OXFAM is providing the fund through ISODEC. ISODEC says the idea to implement the project is to look at the livelihood resource such as natural capital, economic capital and fiscal capital, to be able to provide the needed support. As a result, two-year contract agreement has been signed between ISODEC and representatives of Kwame Anum Development Union (KADU) at a ceremony in Accra, during which the union received the first tranch of money amounting to GH?21,170, as start up credit scheme to support economic activities. KADU was represented by Reuben Ayikai Aryeetey-Chairman, Bernard Attoh-Secretary and Isaac Afadi Djan- Treasurer. Mr. Ernest Tay Awoosah, Director of Finance and Administration of ISODEC, who is also the project manager, explained that the missing link identified in Kwame Anum was the necessary financial capital to improve their activities. ?Through NOVIV we are trying to inject money into their economic activities which include farming and agro processing.?Consequently, he said a Community Managed Micro Credit scheme has been set up to give them financial support to get basic farming equipment and also buy produce for storage and sale during lean season, after which profit could be shared among the community and the farmers.He stated that the Cedi Finance Foundation (CFF), a micro-finance institution affiliated to ISODEC and currently operating in Kumasi, is providing the technical support, while ISODEC will assist with project management and capacity building. He said extension officers in the district will also be contracted to assist.?We hope at the end of the day to contribute to food security and social network. We also expect that after the two year support, they should be able to do it on their own.?He disclosed that the second tranch of GH?44, 822 will mainly go into infrastructure development for agro-processing. Mr. Awoosah recalled that an initial concept was developed in partnership with the Netherlands Broadcasting Corporation to adopt a ?Millennium Village?, where individuals were to be given a dollar a day for a number of years, to measure the input. However, he said the project could not materialize due to change in management of the Netherlands Broadcasting Corporation. Mr. Awoosah said that in spite of this development, ISODEC could not put its credibility on the line as feasibility studies had been completed and the community could not be disappointed after being prepared. Therefore, he said ISODEC sought assistance from NOVIV ?OXFAM. ISODEC currently provides basic needs services (health, education and micro-finance) and is also an advocacy organization.