Global Action for Women Empowerment (GLOWA), a rural–urban integrated non-governmental organization has facilitated 112 applications from socially excluded groups in the North and South Dayi District Assemblies for government’s pro-poor packages.

This is because a good number of the socially excluded have little or no knowledge on such packages and how to access them in the districts.

A press release signed by Madam Enyonam Kugbeadzor, Chief Executive Officer, GLOWA, said two of the applicants, with disabilities, (PWDs) from inaccessible communities already received part of the 2 per cent District Assembly Common Fund to pay their school fees in the North Dayi District.

The release said one more applicant, also a PWD is being processed for sponsorship for skills training in “shoe making” with another at Vakpo.

It said two dumb and blind students were also being considered by the same North Dayi District Assembly to attend special schools in Hohoe and Akropong respectively.

The release said 36 “community champions” had been recruited to ensure sustainability of the initiative and ensure that PWDs, especially women and the youth, were aware of government’s pro-poor packages and benefit from them.

It said an assessment, using the community scorecards, revealed an increase in the knowledge and awareness of how to engage duty bearers to access these facilities from a baseline of 19 per cent to 84.8 per cent in the North Dayi District; while in the South Dayi District, there is an increase in the knowledge and awareness from 0 per cent to 76.3 per cent.

The release commended the two District Chief Executives and their Directors for the commitment and the resolve to include the marginalized in local governance.

GLOWA and her project implementing partners, VOICE Ghana and Ausat Compassionate World, all NGOs, have been working on social inclusion and accountability projects for marginalised groups in the two districts in the past 11 months.

The project, with support from STAR-Ghana aimed at integrating socially excluded women, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and youth in local governance through increased awareness of their civic rights and responsibilities and demand for government’s pro-poor services in those Districts.