The Alangtaaba Women’s Group in Awaredone in Winkongo in the Upper East Region made up of 27 women received GH¢12, 750 from their annual savings under the Savings and Internal Lending Community (SILC).

The group was among twenty seven women groups and one male group constituting over 900 people to share out their savings they accumulated in one year to undertake income generating activities and care for their health needs.

The savings and internal Lending Community (SILC) was instituted in 2010 by Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the Community Maternal and Child Care Services (CIMACS) in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service to promote and improve maternal and child births.

The annual durbar was witnessed with pomp and pageantry as the women anticipated their share of savings as savings boxes were opened.

Mrs Evelyn Naaso, District Director of Health Services of the Ghana Health Services (GHS) before the share-out reiterated the important domestic roles of women in providing good nutrition for their homes.

She recounted the roles of SILC and CIMACS in improving health of women and children in the community and congratulated them, the staff and the chiefs for the support.

Mr Robert Asambobillah, Coordinator , CRS In an interview with the Ghana News Agency said the Savings and internal Lending Community (SILC) was Instituted by CRS to improve Community savings and maternal and New Born Care services (CIMACS) and livelihood.

He said the two programmes were run in partnership with the Ghana Health Service to improve maternal and child care, promote antenatal attendance, good nutrition among pregnant and lactating mothers and serve as a support for the women in the community to have financial support for their needs.

Mr Asambobillah said though CRS phased out in 2012 from CIMACS in 2012, SILC was still promoted in the community and added that migration from the community reduced through the implementation of SILC because beneficiaries had financial support services through their own lending schemes to address pertinent family problems.

He noted that his outfit under new funding scheme would under the Integrated Sanitation, Hygiene, nutrition Education (ISHINE) programme expand its intervention to the SILC communities and other areas including Talensi, Nabdam, Kassena Nankana Districts and in the Northern Region in Nakpanduri, Gambaga among others.

Madam Constance Aduko, 52, a trader with the Alangtaaba women group who took home over GH¢3,000 was grateful for the programme and said the amount would help improve her business and encouraged other SILC programmes.

The annual durbar was witnessed with pomp and pageantry as the women anticipated their share of savings as savings boxes were opened.