By Gifty Amofa/ Abena Sika Siabour, GNA
Accra, Sept. 20, GNA - Madam Cynthia Mamle Morrison, Minister for Gender Children and Social Protection has presented 276 laptop computers to the Social welfare Department with a call on staff to help make life better for the poor.
They are to help identify and monitor what the beneficiaries of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) use the money for, especially those into businesses to enable the Ministry add up a substantial amount to it to expand their businesses.
“I have spoken with some beneficiaries and some of them told me they used it for manufacturing soap, gari making, batik-tie-and dye making, beads making and so on, but what I am looking at is to leap some of them from the original plan of going every two months to collect their money into giving them substantial amount of money to add to whatever they were doing to employ more people,” she noted.
The Minister said some of them taking GH¢100.00 could grow their businesses such as selling of sachet water, adding that it helped in a way especially those who were physically challenged and those who could not work.
The presentation, which was done in Accra to facilitate and enhance the work of the Social Welfare in ensuring the success of LEAP across the Country.
This, she said should be done to step-up the game thereby helping to alleviate poverty.
She urged them to gather the over 3,000 beneficiaries by liasing with assembly members to help identify such people and disseminate the information, find what they were doing with their money to assist in that regard than the GH¢64.00 being given them every two months.
Some people and their dependents, she said were on the programme for a long time due to the way it was structured and it was high time they were “leaped” to make better their lives.
Mr Myles Ongoh, Assistant Director of LEAP commended the officers for their efforts since the programme was introduced.
He advised them to report any challenges encountered so as to sustain as well as to improve it.
LEAP is a cash transfer programme, for the poorest Ghanaians and it was to provide their basic needs, improve health and educate status of children among such families in the Country to get them out of poverty.
The beneficiaries include; orphans, vulnerable children, the aged who are 65 years and above, severely disabled people who cannot work and poor pregnant women in the poorest communities.
Mr Exorgbe A.K. Divine, Municipal Head, Adentan Municipal Assembly, Accra, who received the donation appealed to the Ministry to support them with vehicles that would enable them to respond to distress calls on time.
GNA
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