Poverty Alleviation Fund not reaching the poor

Wa, Oct. 13, GNA - The last in the first phase of a series of zone workshops on enhancing effective participation of non-governmental organisations in poverty reduction programmes through effective targeting in the Upper West Region is underway at Wa.

The two-day workshop would discuss the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy, poverty and the process leading to it and map out areas in the region where poverty is most prevalent.

Ghana Association of Private Voluntary Organisations in Development (GAPVOD) and the Social Investment Fund organised it and similar ones have already been held in Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central and Northern Regions.

Addressing the participants, made up of people working in NGOs in the region, Mr Kofi Adu, Executive Director of GAPVOD, said a recent study of social protection and safety networks in the country found out that target groups of many social programmes are not clearly defined and reaching them is a major problem.

Mr Adu said the Poverty Alleviation Fund is facing problems because the criteria used in selecting beneficiaries is undefined and this makes selection difficult.

He said the criteria that beneficiaries of the scheme should be highly motivated individuals and groups of persons who proposed viable projects eliminated the poor.

The Adventist Relief Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Agro-forestry project's criteria on access to land has also eliminated the landless poor and women who in many Ghanaian communities could only get land through men.

Mr Adu said the Ministry of Health exemption policy which is targetting at under five years old, pregnant women and those aged above 70 years as a good example of pro-poor or pro-vulnerable targeting. He appealed to SIF to support GAPVOD with more funds to enable them cover the remaining five regions under the second phase of the organisations capacity building programme for a NGOs.