Koforidua Nov. 04 GNA-The Hunger Project (THP)-Ghana has supported 160 petty traders and farmers in the Akuapem South Municipality with GHC 18,300.00 in micro credits.

Whilst 110 of the beneficiaries who were women received GHC 13,050.00, their 50 male counterparts received a total of GHC 5,250.00. Mr George D. Ofori, Project Officer THP-Ghana, told the GNA in Koforidua that the gesture was aimed at reducing hunger and poverty and also to help the country achieves the Millennium Development Goals. He said the amount was expected to be repaid within six months and has an interest rate of 10 per cent, the least on the Ghanaian market.

Mr Ofori urged the beneficiaries to use the money for the intended purposes and not to waste them on expensive funeral clothes. He advised them to keep records of their business activities for proper track of their finances and to pay back on time to enable others to benefit from the facility. Ms Janet Asabre, Micro-Finance Officer of THP-Ghana, was hopeful that the credit facility would assist the women, especially to improve on their livelihood and finance their children's education. Ms Alice Agbenomoshi, a single mother of four children, who sells vegetables, told the GNA that hitherto she was "nobody in her community" but due to the loan she received, she is presently much respected and could now finance the education of her children. In another development THP-Ghana had supplied farm inputs to some farmers at the Yilo Krobo District at reduced prices. Mr Ofori indicated that the supply of the inputs helped to reduce poverty on a sustainable manner. .

Ms Theresa Sekyere, a farmer and a mother of two children, at Obenyemi in the district, who benefited from the input supply, said for several years she could cultivate only one acre of maize yearly due to lack of money to purchase the needed inputs to expand her farm. She indicated that this year THP-Ghana supplied her with inputs to cultivate five acres of maize farm. Ms Sekyere expressed her joy and said "farming is my life and am happy to expand my farm size and also take advantage of agriculture education from THP- Ghana". 04 Nov. 10