Mr Isaac Olesu-Adjei, Director of Partnership Building and Resource Mobilisation at The Hunger Project Ghana, has urged Ponponya Epicenter beneficiary communities to stay on track as they transition to self-sufficiency.
“Self-reliance means we have empowered you enough to be on your own and continue with your development path,” he said.
“For the past 13 years, The Hunger Project Ghana has taken you through a lot of education on the Vision Commitment and Action (VCA) tool as well as, financial assistance.”
Mr. Olesu-Adjei made the statement at the Ponponya Epicenter’s self-reliance celebration in the Yilo Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region.
He described VCA as a tool that guided community members in setting goals for their communities, taking the necessary actions, and remaining committed to those actions in order to achieve their visions.
Ponponya Epicenter was established in 2009 and it is now self-sufficient. It is made up of nine communities, including Sikabeng, Okortokrom, Aditrease, Hlum, and Legbanya.
A Community Health Planning Services Compound, Nurses Quarters, Microfinance Office, Conference Hall, Library, and Food Bank are all part of the Epicenter building.
Mango seedlings were planted at the celebration to demonstrate the people’s self-sufficiency.
Mr. Olesu-Adjei explained that before any epicentre is left to operate on its own, it is provided with the necessary income to consolidate and sustain The Hunger Project’s initiative.
Going forward, the Ponponya Epicenter was given a tricycle, canopies, and chairs in the care of the Epicenter committee to hire out to communities or associations to generate income to manage the center’s affairs in terms of capacity building workshops for agriculture animators, renovation, and so on.
However, The Hunger Project Ghana is expected to continue visiting and monitoring the center’s progress over time.
Mr Eric Tetteh, Yilo Krobo Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), expressed gratitude for the community’s support and urged other charitable organisations to assist in the municipality’s development, stating that the government cannot do everything.
“I advise the beneficiaries of Ponponya Epicenter to manage and take good care of the facility,” he said. “The needs of communities in the municipality are many, but with time, the assembly will solve them.”
The Hunger Project is a non-governmental organisation that implements programmes to improve rural people’s living standards in terms of health, nutrition, education, and livelihood empowerment.
It works closely with the Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service, Municipal and District Assemblies, and other Institutions.
