Accra, Feb 23, GNA- Ms Helen D. Gayle, President of Care International, one of the world's largest humanitarian organizations has completed a three-day meeting and duty tour to Ghana with Country Directors of Care International in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) region. Her next stop is Kenya and Tanzania where she is due to meet the country directors and staffs of those countries as well as visit project sites.

The GoG region is made up of Ghana, Togo and Benin where Care works with over 60 villages to develop plans to stop child trafficking, as well as assist micro finance institutions to provide financial services and credits to people who lacked access to loans, among other projects. Ms. Gayle, interacting with some members of the press in Accra on Friday said CARE's focus in the region was working with the poor and marginalized communities by helping them find lasting solutions to poverty.

"We look at the big picture of poverty, and go beyond the symptoms to confront underlying causes such as providing micro-credits to women to empower them, fighting to stop child trafficking and the engagement of children in exploitative work, and helping to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, by helping the people to understand all there is to know about the spread of the disease," she said.

Congratulating the people of Ghana on the attainment of 50 years after independence, Ms Gayle urged Ghanaians to strive for a excellence in all their endeavours.

"Ghana was the first African country I visited, some 30 years ago and today it is the first African country I have been since becoming the president of Care International, this is the proof of my love for this country," she said.

She pledged Care support for the programmes it had started in Ghana.

Ms Marcy Vigoda, the Missions Director for GoG said the work in the region included, enabling civil society groups to engage effectively with government at all levels in all three countries. "Over 2.600 farmers and 40 farmer groups have benefited from improved farming techniques, gained access to the export market for their produce, and attained better and more sustainable livelihoods through CARE's assistance.

"Ninety five thousand people have benefited from CARE'S training on HIV/AIDS and learned how to protect themselves and loved ones from the disease, among other projects".