GLOWA sets up groups to monitor projects
Global Action for Women Empowerment (GLOWA), a non-governmental organisation, has set up monitoring groups in three districts in the Volta Region to play active roles in monitoring the execution of development projects being undertaking by the district assemblies, to strengthen accountability.
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The 18 women groups from six deprived communities namely Odomi and Kofi-Akura in the Nkwanta South; Nwane and Adakope in the Krachi East; and Saviefe Agorkpo and Dzolokpuita in the Ho West districts have been empowered to hold duty bearers accountable by monitoring the various projects being undertaken by these assemblies to ensure quality of work.
Involvement of women
In an interview, the Chief Executive Officer of GLOWA, Madam Enyonam Kugbeadzor, said the involvement of women in the monitoring of key projects was very important because they were the beneficiaries of such projects.
Under the Ghana Strengthening Accountability Mechanism (GSAM) project being implemented by GLOWA, over 500 women, together with some youth, have been equipped with the necessary information on the various projects being undertaken in their communities and trained on how to effectively monitor the activities of the assemblies.
She said the move formed part of efforts by the NGO to strengthen accountability and increase women’s interest in getting involved in local governance in these localities.
She said the people had also been equipped with appropriate skills including the use of digital cameras to capture projects and strategies to support GLOWA in a joint effort to monitor these projects, from the period of commencement to the completion stages.
Execution of projects
According to Madam Kugbeadzor, the time had come for community members to ensure that projects such as education, health, sanitation and boreholes meant to support the communities were well executed, for the people to derive the maximum benefit.
“When you visit the rural areas you would find out that some of these projects have been abandoned by the communities after using them for few years, because they have become death traps as a result of shoddy work,” she said.
She explained that the GSAM project was a five-year community engagement advocacy project being implemented by GLOWA, in partnership with Care International, Ghana; IBIS, Ghana; and the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC).