The Talensi District in the Upper East Region, as part of the implementation of the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion Project (SOCO Project), has been allocated GH¢4 million worth of projects and other interventions for 2023.
This will see the assembly carry out various projects and interventions in the area of health, education, and livelihood empowerment.
To this effect, the District Chief Executive for Talensi, Thomas Duanab Wuni, on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, broke grounds for work to commence on two CHPS Compounds at Sepaat and Balungu and the construction of 2-unit Kindergarten block at Guborigu.
A social center in Tongo is also set to be rehabilitated and transformed into a youth center to allow for many games and host several events in the district.
The Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project, a one hundred and fifty million dollar development initiative is aimed at reducing the the threat of terrorism and economic vulnerability challenges from the Sahel in the Northern half of Ghana.
The World Bank credit facility project, which also covers the northern parts of Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo, will be implemented by the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development in forty-eight (48) Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies located in six Regions, namely Northern, North East, Upper East, Upper West, Savannah and Oti regions.
The five-year project is expected to improve regional collaboration and socio-economic and climate resilience of border-zone communities in the target northern regions of the Gulf of Guinea countries exposed to conflict and climate risks. The project was launched in May 2023 with the hope of improving the livelihoods of people in rural areas.
Speaking to Journalists after the sod-cutting, the District Chief Executive for Talensi, Thomas Duanab Wuni, explained that the Assembly is implementing 9 projects, including economic empowerment projects, the construction of mechanized boreholes amongst others.
He disclosed that work on the projects per the agreement is expected to be completed in six months.
“In Talensi, we are doing about 9 projects. Two are health facilities, one is a KG that’s education, and we have other local economic development projects where we will be constructing fish ponds, guinea fowl rearing facilities, and the construction of mechanized boreholes for farming. In all, SOCO is giving us about 4 million cedis worth of projects for 2023 and 10.6 million cedis for 2024. So, this is phase one that we are getting 9 and I’m sure in the phase two, we will have between 10 and 15 so we are exceptionally grateful that we have been able to provide jobs.” The DCE stated.
The Chief of Balungu, Naba John Atia, says the CHPS Compound when constructed will go a long way to relieve residents of the struggles they go through in accessing health care.
“This CHPS compound is very important and it will benefit all the community members. You can imagine transporting yourself to Tongo or Bolga so this facility will help especially when it involves primary care and pregnant women.”
The District Director of Health Services, Juliana Anam-erime, is optimistic that the CHPS Compounds when constructed will help the directorate to achieve its targets.
