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23.07.2016 Social News

Hunger Project CEO installed Akotekrom development queenmother

By GNA
Hunger Project CEO installed Akotekrom development queenmother
23.07.2016 LISTEN

By D.I. Laary, GNA
Akim Swedru (E/R), July 23, GNA - The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Hunger Project (THP), worldwide has been installed as the Nkorsuorhenmaa - development queen mother - of Akotekrom, a farming community in the Birim South District.

Mrs Asa Stogstrom Feldt was given the stool name Nkorsuorhemaa Nana Yeboaa II at a colourful durbar at Akotekrom which was also used to mark the declaration of self-reliance by 15 communities.

Over a period, the self- reliant communities had sustained self-help projects and an 'Epicentre' was constructed to help them end hunger and fight poverty.

The enstoolment of the CEO was seen as reciprocal gesture of the people to show appreciation for being provided with various forms of support to complete many projects in the area.

After being clad in a specially designed kente cloth, and a pair of sandals to match, Nana Yeboaa II, was given a sword as a symbol of authority.

The durbar attracted huge presence of local assembly officials, community leaders and chiefs who were dressed in various traditional regalia.

The event was witnessed by several investors from across the world.

In 2006, THP, reached a partnership deal with the communities resulting in the extension of aid in the form of leadership training and infrastructure expansion.

This augmented local resources and talents, and enabled members of communities to launch social and income earning activities to improve their living conditions.

The partnership deal resulted in the construction of a multipurpose structure - Epicentre - that contains a health facility, microfinance office and other amenities to provide special services to community members.

Since the construction of the Akotekrom Epicentre, several capacity building programmes have been organised for various groups, community members said, adding that this has led to rural household income climbing substantially, healthcare services being boosted and school enrolment soaring.

The communities were declared self-reliant on Tuesday and were collectively presented with a plaque to affirm their self-reliant status and capacity to sustain their livelihood and end hunger.

Nana Yeboaa said the self-reliance celebration marked the first in The Hunger Project's 118 epicentres in Africa that have successfully graduated.

She said the graduation was based on a comprehensive set of around 50 diverse targets that measured their progress and assessed their path to sustainability.

'This achievement is the culmination of a long term participation and commitment between communities,' she said, 'we are so thrilled and proud of what our community partners have accomplished.'

'This is an example of how a strategy can achieve locally owned vision and goals and foster a culture of self-determination in which the community itself is the driver of continued change,' she added.

The Country Director of The Hunger Project, Mr Samuel Erasmus Afrane, noted that many conventional development strategies treated the poor and hungry as the problem, however, THP focused on changing mind-set and capacity building.

He expressed delight that people's attitude has changed from 'state of dependency and resignation to the state of self-reliance, hope and unstoppable desire to change [their] status progressively.'

'By this symbolic and memorable celebration, the people of this epicentre are showcasing to the whole world…that nobody is too poor to develop and that poor people only need encouragement to develop,' he said.

Prior to the project in the area, Mr Samuel Neequaye, a representative of the Epicentre leadership, said the communities' varied ethnic and cultural backgrounds made it difficult for them to work towards a common goal.

'I must admit that the entire idea of coming together as cluster with a common goal was entirely new to us and we saw it as a great task,' he said.

'And just as we were losing courage to take up the mantle, we were increasingly charged by a certain message which now runs through our blood.'

The Hunger Project has gained deep prominence in the communities due to its interventions that increased women empowerment, promoted HIV/AIDS education nutrition education.

Crop improvement, advocacy and partnership building, microfinance, infrastructural support and establishment of strong democratic principles, have also enhanced unity and strength among the people.

The interventions were successfully executed with the ultimate aim of helping rural dwellers to ease hunger and fight poverty as their main 'enemy'.

'The success is what we are celebrating now as a self-reliant epicentre,' Mr Neequaye said.

GNA

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