25,000 extremely poor household to get government support

The Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment, would from this year offer relief to about 25,000 extremely poor households in 50 districts in the country. The programme would be implemented under the "Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty in the National Social Protection Strategy. Mrs Angela Asante-Asare, the coordinator of the Programme made this known at a day's sensitization workshop, organized for key implementers of the programme, in Cape Coast. She said the scheme, which sought to create an all inclusive society through the provision of sustainable mechanisms for the protection of persons living in extreme poverty, vulnerability and exclusion, would be executed on pilot basis within the next five years. Mrs Asante-Asare said government was committed to ensuring the success of the programme because it believed that investing in people was a sure way of attaining the Millennium Development Goals. She said a scheme had been initiated to help reduce leakages and corruption that might occur during the implementation of the programme towards its sustenance. Mrs Asante-Asare said the Ministry would soon resource the Department of Social Welfare, one of the implementing agencies to enable it work effectively. She said it would require the concerted efforts of all Ghanaians to ensure the successful implementation and sustainability of the programme. Dr Ellen Bortei Doku Aryeetey of the Centre for Social Policy Studies, and a consultant to the programme, said even in the midst of widespread poverty, society needed some form of relief and services. She said "a responsible State supports the family for it to in turn take care of the family in order to have a peaceful and progressive society." Dr Aryeetey, commended government for its efforts aimed at supporting the vulnerable, the extremely poor and those excluded. Those who attended the workshop included district coordinating directors, presiding members of the various district assemblies, officers of the Department of Social Welfare and the Ghana Post. Under the programme, which commences this month, each extremely poor household to be identified, would be registered and given between eight and GH¢15.00 every two months to support their basic human needs. They beneficiaries would also be assisted to access existing social services such as the mass transport as well as free health care to improve upon their socio-economic development.