World Vision Ghana (WVG) has held an exit durbar in the Atebubu-Amantin municipality in the Bono East region to bring closure to over two decades of service to communities in the municipality.
Addressing a gathering of staff of the municipal assembly, traditional authorities, partners, beneficiary communities, educational institutions and other government departments, under the theme ‘Celebrating 23 years of service to the most vulnerable’, Mr. Joshua Baidoo, the Director for Integrated Programmes of W.V.G. said the activities of his outfit has directly reached and impacted over 85,000 lives in 160 communities in the municipality.
He said to improve water, sanitation and hygiene, WVG has provided 452 boreholes and wells in beneficiary communities as well as constructed and mechanized 7 high yielding boreholes and 206 improved latrines in schools and health facilities.
In education, Mr. Baidoo said the NGO constructed and furnished 10 school blocks and rehabilitated 8 classroom blocks and teachers quarters in beneficiary communities.
World Vision Ghana also supported 1,980 needy but brilliant students to further their education in addition to the support for adult literacy programmes among others.
To improve health, WVG built a community health center and three traditional birth and delivery centers as well as supported a number of immunization campaigns.
Mr. Baidoo said the NGO funded a number of gari processing facilities in addition to the training of community members in bee-keeping, grass cutter rearing and smart agriculture techniques to ensure food security and economic empowerment adding that the ‘savings for transformation’ groups also led to easy access to finance for farming and other entrepreneurial activities thereby improving incomes.
Mr. Baidoo indicated that over 3000 children benefited from child sponsorships while 50 houses were built with about 250 others renovated under the family sponsorship model.
He said through the advocacy of the NGO, societal ills like child abuse, child labor, child marriage and open defecation have reduced drastically.
“I would like to urge the municipal assembly, traditional authorities, beneficiary communities and other stakeholders to team up to ensure that the gains made are consolidated for the development of the municipality”, he said
The Atebubu-Amantin Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Edward Owusu expressed his gratitude to W.V.G for the immeasurable support to the municipality and urged other development partners to come in and fill the void created in order to boost the development agenda of the municipality.
He assured the NGO that the municipal assembly in collaboration with the traditional authorities will work together to ensure that its legacy is sustained and improved for the betterment of the people.
World Vision Ghana presented plaques and citations to the municipal assembly, the Atebubu Traditional Council, partners and community volunteers.
