Grant Officer for the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) LED Project in the Upper East Region, Atubiga A. Alhassan, has highlighted that the SOCO LED Grant model focuses on empowering various community groups by providing financial support tailored to specific income-generating activities.
He emphasized that the initiative is designed to alleviate poverty and create jobs at the community level.
“The LED Grant model aligns with the SOCO project in this way: the LED activity aims to address poverty in various communities and districts to create employment opportunities at the local level.”
In an interview on A1 Radio, he stated that this year’s targeted beneficiaries include youth, women, farmers, livestock keepers, agro-processors, and artisanal groups. To qualify for the initiative, applicants must be organized into groups of ten or more, prioritizing collective effort over individual support.
“Our target groups for LED benefits include youth groups, women’s groups, farmers’ groups, livestock groups, agro-processing groups, and artisanal groups. These are the targeted groups for this year.”
According to him, eligible activities for funding cover a range of production and farming ventures, such as shea butter processing, soap making, vegetable farming, and livestock rearing. Community facilitators will assist local district assemblies in validating these groups before they are considered for funding.
Mr. Alhassan mentioned that training sessions are currently underway to equip participants with essential skills in group management, financial planning, and record-keeping. Each group is required to develop a comprehensive business plan and sign a financial agreement outlining responsible fund usage. “Currently, we are training them on how to manage their groups, how the funds should be used, and what the funds cannot be used for.”
He underscored that the initiative stresses the importance of regular meetings, savings practices, inter-loaning, and timely repayment to ensure sustainable success. Mr. Alhassan also noted that the assembly will assess the groups based on their business plans before finalizing support. He called for community involvement to ensure the project’s sustainability and collective effort, emphasizing that the success of the SOCO initiative relies on teamwork and the commitment of the communities it serves. “We want the people to support us. This is the biggest project we’ve seen in terms of support. We want the various communities to work with us so that the SOCO project won’t just come and go. It should be sustained, and we’re urging the people to use this SOCO fund as intended.”
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Gifty Eyram Kudiabor|Bolgatanga
