The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Diocesan Development Organisation (NABOCADO) have provided livelihood support to 130 residents of Kongo in the Tempane District as part of efforts to address socio-economic conditions that could contribute to conflict.
The intervention is designed to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable residents, particularly women and young people, while promoting peaceful coexistence in the border community.
Beneficiaries received a range of livelihood support packages, including sewing machines and accessories for trained dressmakers, weaving equipment for young people, goats for rearing and agro-processing equipment for women’s groups.
The initiative forms part of the Governance, Rule of Law and Peacebuilding for Sustainable Development Programme, funded by Denmark, Luxembourg and the Republic of Korea.
Speaking at the presentation of the items, Melody Azinim, a Peace and Governance Analyst at UNDP Ghana, said the intervention was based on the understanding that sustainable peace required more than conflict resolution.
She said the programme sought to strengthen peace infrastructures at both the national and community levels by addressing the socio-economic conditions that often fuel tensions.
“Our focus is to ensure that infrastructures for peace are strengthened so that we continue to enjoy peace at the national and community levels,” she said.
Ms Azinim said women and young people were at the centre of the intervention because improved economic opportunities could enable them to contribute more meaningfully to their families and communities.
She noted that many border communities continued to face socio-economic challenges despite their strategic importance in cross-border trade, leaving residents vulnerable to conflict, crime and other security threats.
“We are looking at how to support women and young people to actively participate in cross-border trade while also strengthening knowledge and understanding of how to live peacefully in socially cohesive border communities,” she stated.
According to her, Kongo was selected because of its proximity to the Ghana-Togo border and its history of communal conflicts.
She said similar interventions were also being implemented in selected border communities in the Savannah Region along the Ghana-Côte d’Ivoire border.
For NABOCADO, the intervention represents an approach that uses economic empowerment as a tool for peacebuilding.
The organisation’s Director of Justice, Peace and Humanitarian Response, Theophilus Abolga, said the support would help residents become more economically self-reliant while encouraging cooperation among the different groups in the community.
“We are using business to build peace. If the community becomes united through these livelihood interventions, they will have a common purpose and a stronger voice to pursue development,” he said.
Mr Abolga said beneficiaries would also receive training in business management, financial literacy and savings.
He added that cultural exchange activities would be organised to strengthen relationships and promote unity among the various ethnic groups in Kongo.
He expressed the hope that the intervention would help residents protect their livelihoods, reduce tensions and work collectively to advance the development of the community.
A beneficiary, Zeliya Mamudu, expressed appreciation to UNDP, NABOCADO and their partners, saying the support would provide women and young people with opportunities to develop their skills and earn livelihoods.
She said the economic empowerment of vulnerable residents could help reduce the conditions that often contribute to conflict and promote lasting peace in the community.
