Executive Director of Divine for All (DFA) Ghana Chapters, Sheik Kamunaa Alhassan, has noted that poverty that has been the bane of most African countries could be reduced if women and the youth are economically empowered.
He said this can be done by the provision of education, technical and vocational training and small loans and grants to women.
Speaking at the annual general forum of the organisation at Gomoa-Manford in the Gomoa West District of the region, Mr. Alhassan said ?if successive governments put all these measures in place, poverty in Africa that is retarding the continent?s progress would be curtailed.?
He noted that since government alone cannot handle the problem of poverty reduction, private organisations should venture into the ?business? of empowering the poor or vulnerable groups.
He was of the view that when that is done, crime rates would reduce in Africa.
Mr. Alhassan noted that his NGO has started with what he is preaching by supporting over 100 students to get access to Senior High Schools (SHS) and tertiary institutions.
He said a good number of poor women have also been supported by his NGO with soft loans and grants to expand their businesses.
?It is unfortunate that some women are abusing the facility by defaulting in the re-payment of funds received from the NGO, thereby denying others from getting access to the fund,? he said.
Sheik Alhassan noted that to prevent default of the facility, Business Advocacy Services (BAS) has organised for the women periodically on how best to utilise the monies collected and how to ensure that they re-pay the loans for others to benefit.
For their part, the General Manager of DFA, Mr. HeritiusAbedza, and the Project Manager of the benevolent organisation, Mr. Ahmed Kofi, said it was the vision of the NGO to be turned into a full-fledged micro finance company in the immediate future so that more funds would be mobilised to empower more youth and vulnerable women.
STORY: BERNARD QUANSON
