Yendi (NR) July 21, GNA - Mr Mohammed Habib Tijani, Yendi District Chief Executive, has called on women groups in Dagbon to assist the government and the security agencies to search for a lasting peace for the area.

''When there is conflict it is women and children who suffer most. The time has come for everybody including women in the area to work towards the achievement of peace that has eluded the people for a long time now.''

Mr Tijani was speaking at a day's sensitisation workshop on the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) organised for Muslim Women in Yendi. The Northern Region Chapter of the Federation of Muslim Women Associations of Ghana organised the forum that was jointly funded by Social Enterprise Development (SEND) Foundation of West Africa, an international NGO and Ibis Ghana, a Danish NGO.

The DCE said the Yendi District Assembly had disbursed 380 million cedis from its share of the Poverty Alleviation Fund to traders and farmers while 40 million cedis had also been provided for women groups to undertake income-generating activities in the area.

Mr Tijani said the Office of the Senior Minister had disbursed 420 million cedis to 840 farmers including 300 women in the district. He said the District Assembly, in collaboration with its development partners including Action Aid Ghana, Management Aid, New Energy and UNICEF, were all operating micro credit schemes to reduce poverty in the area.

Hajia Hajara Telly, President of the Northern Region Chapter of the Federation of Muslim Women Associations said the workshop was in response to the government's call for the intensification of the GPRS education in the rural communities.

She said similar forums would be organised in Zabzugu, Salaga, Saboba and Kpandai to educate women about government's efforts at reducing poverty in the country.