The Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA), a Tamale-based non-governmental organization, through the support of the French Embassy, has assisted women groups in the Tamale Metropolis with micro credits to improve their business activities.

The French Embassy provided Ghc108, 000.00 whiles GDCA provided a counterpart funding of Ghc28,000.00 under a project dubbed Fund for Social Development, which led to the granting of micro credits to about 550 women.

The women were involved in rice processing, shea butter and ground nut oil extraction and trading of agricultural produce in rural areas in the Tamale Metropolis.

In a speech read on his behalf to mark the visit of the French Ambassador to the project beneficiaries in Tamale, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, the Northern Regional Minister, commended the French government for complementing government’s efforts at improving the living conditions of rural women in the country.

Alhaji Limuna assured of continued support and collaboration between the two countries for the mutual benefit of all.

Mr. Frederic Clavier, French Ambassador to Ghana said access to micro-finance by vulnerable women groups was a key issue in northern Ghana, hence the decision of the French Government to support the women groups with micro credits, in the form of grants to improve their economic activities.

Mr. Clavier assured that France was committed to promoting sustainable and replicable social micro-finance to most vulnerable groups in the country to improve their economic activities and increase their incomes.

Alhaji Osman Abdel-Rahman, Executive Director of GDCA said the beneficiaries had expanded their capital base on average loan size of Ghc500.00, leading to the expansion of their businesses.

Madam Awabu Musah, Leader of Soglo Kongboo Women Group Rice Processors, based at Nyohini, a suburb of Tamale, thanked the French Embassy and GDCA for the initiative and asked that the grants be increased to the beneficiaries to undertake their operations.