FAO TO ASSIST WOMEN'S GROUPS

Kpodokope(E/R), Feb. 7, GNA The regional office of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Accra is providing 25 women's economic groups in the Eastern region with technical assistance. Mr Antoine Fayossewo, national and regional institutions officer of FAO, said this today when he visited some centres of the women's groups in Kpodokope, Dawa and Oborpa, all in the Eastern Region. The groups are being organized for the assistance by the Global Non Traditional Export Producers Association (Global NTEPA), a non profit making organization. Mr Fayossewo said the technical assistance is in the form of preparing project documents to be sent to donor agencies for the necessary assistance. He said this has become necessary since most of these groups cannot affort consultancy fees. Miss Beatrice Adela, organizer of the Dawa group, said what her people need most is water because their only source of water is a nearby stream which dries up during the dry season. The situation, she said, compels the people to buy a bucketful of water for 200 cedis, and therefore called on the government and other donor agencies to come to their aid. Reverend Esther Vida Mingle, president of Global NTEPA, said the main problem of the rural folk is lack of market for their farm produce. She said her association has taken upon itself to help members market their goods to raise their standard of living. "It is our ultimate goal to help fight hunger and alleviate poverty in the rural areas through improved and sustainable agricultural production," she added. The association has over 25 groups with a membership of between 400 to 600 farmers, gari producers and palm oil producers and bakers.