Beneficiaries numbering over 300 have so far benefited from the Productive Inclusion Programme under the Ghana Productivity Safety Net Project. The Productive Inclusion Program component supports productive inclusion activities for extremely poor households in targeted communities. Beneficiaries of the Productive Inclusion are in the CLASS category.
The beneficiaries of the Productive Inclusion Program fall under the Complementary Livelihood and Asset Support Scheme (CLASS). CLASS beneficiaries are selected from LEAP and LIPW household members aged 18 – 65 years who are willing to participate in the program. At least 60 percent of CLASS beneficiaries are female. Beneficiaries are grouped for ease of training, facilitation, and coaching.
Complementary Livelihood and Asset Support Scheme (CLASS) which is implemented in 42 districts in the 5 regions of Northern Ghana helps to increase access to income-generating activities for extremely poor households. CLASS activities include, Training on life skills and microenterprise, Training on business management and vocational skills, Start-up cash grants, Microenterprise coaching and mentoring.
The implementation of this component is facilitated by the Rural Development Coordinating Unit of the Ministry of Local Government Decentralization and Rural Development with technical support through relevant state actors such as the National Board for Small Scale Industries now Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) at the District level.
Beneficiaries upon completing required training were encouraged to undertake enterprises in groups or as individuals. They were supported with start-up cash grants to set up their micro-enterprises. Each beneficiary received a maximum of GH¢ 1050 through a biometric electronic payment system. The grant amount is dependent on the type of enterprise proposed in an agreed upon plan and is disbursed in tranches.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
