The Resiliency in Northern Ghana (RING) project, a poverty reduction intervention designed to improve the nutrition and livelihood statuses of vulnerable households in the Northern Region has signed a sub-contracting with the University for Development Studies (UDS).
Under the sub-contract, UDS will provide support for the multiplication and supply of 75,000 Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes (OFSP) vines to project beneficiaries in 17 targeted district assemblies in the Northern Region.
These assemblies include: Central Gonja; Chereponi, East Gonja, East Mamprusi, Gushegu, and Karaga.
OFSP cultivation is an income generating initiative that will also contribute to nutritional gains among vulnerable households in rural, Northern Ghana.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Tamale, the Acting Chief of Party of RING, Margaret Herro said: In addition to this effort, RING is promoting other nutrition enhancing commodity crops, such as soybeans, cowpea, and leafy green vegetables”.
The technical assistance from UDS for the RING project may also include training for Agriculture Extension Agents, Women in Agriculture Development officers and District Nutrition Officers on the technical aspects of production and utilization of OFSPs in the 17 targeted Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, according to her.
She also announce that under Global Communities, new initiatives, such as promoting small-scale drip irrigation, Infant and Young Child Feeding, citizen engagement mechanisms, and moringa cultivation would be implemented under the project in 2015.
“These interventions, in addition to previous projects, will serve to further empower vulnerable households to improve their livelihood and nutritional statuses”.
To achieve these gains, RING will continue to partner with its local stakeholders and work together to reduce poverty and malnutrition in northern Ghana.
Madam Herro thanked the USAID and Feed the Future for their continued financial support to the RING Project.
The Pro-Vice Chancellor of UDS, Professor Gabriel Ayum Teye, on behalf of UDS also thanked RING for the initiative and was very optimistic about the project. He encouraged both parties to work diligently towards the laudable initiative which will improve the livelihoods of about 17 targeted districts in the Northern Region.
Prof. Teye used the opportunity to highlight similar projects UDS is already engaged in. He indicated that, this type of project is just in sync with the mandate of UDS. Explaining further, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor emphasised on both the Problem-Based-Learning (PBL) approach adopted by the University and the Third Trimester Field Practical Programme (TTFPP) which is currently underway in communities within the Northern and Upper East Regions.
African Eye News.com
