Sensitization Workshop On Leap Programme For MMDCE’s & CD’s Of The Northern Sector

The LEAP Secretariat under the auspices of the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection, has held a one-day sensitization workshop to educate the Metropolitan/Municipal/District Chief executives (MMDCE’s) and their Co-ordinating Directors (CDs) of the Upper West, Upper East, and Northern Regions on the LEAP (Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty) Programme, and the key roles they can play to ensure its sustainability.

The workshop being the third and final of its kind brought together key stakeholders to help create awareness, stimulate a constructive dialogue, and make room for effective collaboration and transparency to enhance the effective implementation of the programme in their various districts and municipalities.

Addressing participants of the workshop, the Minister for Gender Children and Social Protection, Hon. Otiko Afisah Djaba said she was very passionate about this particular program because it was a step in the right direction in helping consolidate efforts to eradicate extreme poverty in our dear nation.

The Sector Minister added that the new direction the LEAP programme is taking was in accordance with President Nana Addo’s vision to build a ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’. Owing to the fact also that He is the Co-chair of the group of advocates for the SDGs and the African Union Gender champion, Ghana has to lead by example; “we must walk the talk, we need to move into action to eradicate poverty. Poverty is a disease, and it is not for Ghanaians.” She said.

 The LEAP Programme since its inception in 2008, targets orphans and vulnerable children, persons with severe disability without productive capacity, the elderly 65 years and above without source of support and extremely poor pregnant women with infants under one year.

The Programme currently covers all districts in the country with 213,044 beneficiary households, which translates to about 937,904 individuals, where a one-member household, two-member household, three-member household and four or more-member household received GHc64, GHc76, GHc88 and GHc106 cash transfers bi-monthly in that order.

Hon. Otiko Djaba also disclosed that the ministry is preparing to liaise with the Ghana health service this coming May to include free health screening to the LEAP beneficiaries. She said this would also go a long way to enhance the health status of beneficiaries and improve upon their lives.

The Gender Minister made a passionate appeal to MMDCEs & CDs to be fully involved in the combat against poverty through the LEAP Programme. “The ministry of gender cannot do it alone, the people involved live in your various communities under your able care. I stand here to urge you all to put in your maximum efforts so we can lend a helping hand to our people in need. I need you to bring all your contributions and suggestions on board, on how we can make the LEAP more effective and efficient.”, Hon. Otiko Afisah said.

Mr. Salifu Saeed, Northern Regional Minister, who was also present at the workshop, said in spite of the successes chalked under the program, LEAP still has its challenges. He added that, misconceptions about the programme among some sections of the population that LEAP makes people lazy; the limited coverage of the programme – not all extremely poor population of the 2.2 million is covered; and graduation and exit of beneficiaries. He implored the MMDCEs to work closely with other stakeholders to address the challenges being faced by the programme and urged further to consolidate their successes and take the LEAP programme to greater heights.

The LEAP Sensitisation Workshop also served as a platform to discuss issues of Human Trafficking, Domestic Violence and Adoption.