Pong-Tamale (N/R), Feb. 2, GNA - Ghanaian-Danish Community Programme (GDCP), a Tamale-based development NGO has for the past two years spent 954 million cedis to improve social infrastructure in the Savelugu/Nanton District.

The projects included 16-school infrastructure, teachers' residential accommodation and health facilities as well as the provision of small water points for 13 communities in the district.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony of the projects at Pong-Tamale on Tuesday, Mr Alaskan Ahmed Alaskan, GDCP programme Coordinator said, out of the amount, the district assembly contributed 20 million cedis, while the beneficiary communities also contributed 30 million cedis towards the projects.

He announced that, GDCP had established a 51-million-cedi maintenance fund to be disbursed to the beneficiary communities to preserve the projects.

Mr Alaskan appealed to beneficiary communities to form maintenance committees to formulate guidelines for the use of the funds to win the confidence of the people to sustain the fund.

He said the GDCP had started its phase six programme in the district this year with a local budget that would be used to support social infrastructure, such as the construction of schools, health infrastructure and the provision of small water points for the communities.

He said the programme would also cater for the capacity building of Unit Committees, Area Councils, Parent-Teachers-Associations, Traditional Authorities, Youth Groups and Community Based Organizations in the Savelugu/Nanton and Tolon/Kumbungu districts.

This would help strengthen the capacity of the civil organizations to advocate and mobilize internal and external resources for development.

Mr Alhassan announced that the GDCP was also collaborating with the Ghana Education Service to give basic training to pupil teachers in the two districts to enhance their performance in the classroom. The NGO was also working hard to provide vocational training for young men and women in the area to complement the government's efforts at reducing poverty in the communities.

The Programme Coordinator therefore, appealed to the district assemblies to support the resource centres that GDCP had established at Zoggu and Diare with sewing machines and carpentry tools to enhance the operations of the centres.

He urged the authorities of the Pong-Tamale Secondary School to take good care of the girls' hostel provided to improve their performance. Mr A.A. Atori, Acting District Chief Executive of the Savelugu/Nanton commended the GDCP for its commitment towards the socio-economic development of the district.

He appealed to chiefs, community leaders, teachers and parents to reciprocate the good work that the NGO was doing by taking good care of the projects and enrol more children to school.