Kwesilansa (C/R), May 29, GNA - Women have been advised to use loans offered them by the government and other organisations judiciously to get out of poverty.

Miss Beatrice Efua Korkoa, Executive Member of Global Habitat for Humanity (GHAF) a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based at Mankessim, who gave the advise expressed regrets that the efforts of the government and other organisations to enable women to get out of poverty had made little impact on their lifestyles.

Miss Korkoa attributed the situation to misapplication of the funds as some of them saw the assistance as a chance to satisfy their husbands by preparing sumptuous meals for them while others used the money for funerals and other unproductive social activities. She was speaking at a seminar on records keeping for beneficiaries of GHAF loans at Kwesilansa, near Mankessim.

Funds for the loan were provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Small Grant Project (SGP) of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for GHAF to be given to women engaged in biodiversity projects.

Miss Korkoa said about 80 per cent of poverty reduction interventions were being given to women and urged them to use the money judiciously to generate profits to repay the assistance. Mr Augustine Essel, GHAF Project Co-ordinator, advised the women to let the loans motivate them to plant more trees to protect sacred grooves in their areas.

Mr J B Abannor, Executive Director, GHAF, expressed gratitude to GEF/SGP of the UNDP for the assistance and expressed the hope that the loans would transform their lifestyles. 29 May 05