Accra, Oct. 1, GNA - The Ghana Office of the World Bank on Monday presented cheques totalling about 30,000 New Ghana Cedis (300 million cedis) to eight community based organisations to carry out various advocacy programmes under its Small Grants awards. The Small Grants Program is the Bank's window of providing direct support to civil society organisations outside its main activities. Mr Kofi Marrah, Coordinator, World Bank Small Grants Programme, said from a modest 11 applications in 1997, the numbers of institutions applying for the facility had increased to 408 in 2003. To date a total of 92 recipients had been awarded grants to carry out diverse activities ranging from a forum on peace building, disseminating of information on the National Health Insurance as well as sensitisation of female groups on gender issues at the local level. Mr Marrah said the Grants program tied in with the Bank's social development agenda, which focused on efforts to empower the poor and marginalised members of society.

Mr Ishac Diwan, Country Director of the World Bank, said the programme was the Bank's modest contribution to push the frontier and expand social accountability, which was essential to speed up the country's development.

Nana Akomea, Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment, in a speech read for him, lauded the partnership to help bring the marginalised and vulnerable groups into the country's development. 01 Oct. 07