UWR: 100 women and youth benefit from climate-smart livelihood project in Sissala West

A project in Fatchu community, Sissala West District, has provided livelihood assets and a solar-powered mechanized water facility to 100 women and young people. The initiative, part of the Preventing and Responding to Violent Extremism in the Atlantic Corridor project, was carried out in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, Denmark, Norway, the Upper West Regional Peace Council, and CAPECS.

The solar-powered water facility aims to reduce farmers' dependence on rainfall and allow for continuous agricultural production, particularly benefiting women and young people. Upper West Regional Minister Charles Lwanga Puozuing emphasized that the project is an investment in peace, productivity, and resilience, urging beneficiaries to maintain the facility diligently and move beyond subsistence production.

Dr. Edward Ampratwum, Head of Transformation Governance at UNDP Ghana, highlighted that poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion among women and youth contribute to vulnerability to violent extremism. Sissala West District Chief Executive, Abudu Fuseini Gbene, noted that the intervention is crucial due to the district's proximity to Ghana's northern borders and the socio-economic challenges faced by some communities.

Beneficiary Sanah Fadila, at 22 years old, expressed gratitude for the practical skills acquired in soap making, liquid soap production, makeup, shower gel production, ornament making, gardening, and savings management. The project aims to create jobs, improve food security, and deepen the connection between economic opportunity and sustainable peace in the Sissala West District.