Vinving (U/W), Feb 1, GNA - ProNet North, a local non-governmental organisation, is implementing a five-year women empowerment project in Upper West Region to assist women with soft and hard credits with technical support.

Under the project ProNet North would disburse one million dollars to more than 2,000 very poor women in its soft and hard credit terms ranging from 60 Ghana cedis to 600 Ghana cedis in the Nadowli, Jirapa-Lambussie and Lawra districts.

The soft credit attracts no interest and would be made available to those who need it to address household needs such as buying of foodstuff, registering with the National Health Insurance Scheme and paying school fees while the hard credit facility is meant for business ventures.

Madam Catherine Amissah, Project Coordinator of ProNet North, said this at a forum at Vinving in the Jirapa/Lambussie District on Wednesday.

The Big Lottery Fund of the United Kingdom is a major donor for the project with Concern Universal Ghana, an NGO, providing technical support. Irish Aid and the three beneficiary district assemblies are co-funding the project.

Madam Amissah said about 12,000 people are expected to benefit from the project and 300 girls would be empowered through training. Some 22,000 people would also benefit indirectly through the provision of water in 45 communities. She said the need for the implementation of the project was necessitated by some basic factors in the region where nine out of every 10 people are considered poor and women measured as the most poor. Mr MacDuff Phiri, Country Director of Concern Universal Ghana, a UK charity, said his outfit was spending 400,000 euros to mitigate flood effects in the Upper West, Upper East and Northern regions. In addition, 300,000 euros would be spent on disaster risk reduction in the three regions. Mrs Winifred Asibi Dy-Yakah, Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, said women development and empowerment were important for the government and commended ProNet North and its development partners for the assistance.