4 MORE UW DISTRICTS TO BENEFIT FROM LEAP (PAGE 21)

FOUR more districts in the Upper West Region are to benefit from the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme this year. They are Jirapa, Nadowli, Lambussie-Karni and the Sissala East.
This brings to five the number of beneficiary districts in the region since the LEAP programme was launched in the region early this year.
Presently, the Lawra District is the only district where the programme is being implemented under a pilot project.
The Programme Head of Community Care at the Upper West Regional Office of the Department of Social Welfare, Mr Andrews Kaayi Dimah, told the Daily Graphic that the number of beneficiary districts would be increased from the present 31 to 150 while the beneficiary communities in the various districts would also be increased from four to six.
“Unlike the initial implementation stages when we targeted only caregivers with orphans and the most vulnerable, this time around, we are roping in the aged. Mr Dimah called for an increase in the staff strength in the beneficiary districts as well as the provision of a means of transport to ensure an effective monitoring of the programme.
He also appealed to the respective district assemblies to complement the efforts of the department to make the LEAP programme a success.
The Social Welfare Officer also urged the communities, especially traditional rulers to take the LEAP programme as their bonafide, and also educate their subjects not to politicise the programme.
He said that was necessary because the identification was done by members of the community implementation committee, while the Social Welfare Department did the registration..
Mr Dimah further explained that there were conditions such as birth registration, child immunisation and registration of children under the NHIS, which must be honoured by people who would be identified.
He said failure to meet those requirements meant that such people would not benefit from the programme.