Youth and Women Empowerment (YOWE), a Non-governmental organisation in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality and Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly under the leadership of Hon. Simon Kweku Tetteh, MCE for the area have organized a capacity building training workshop for Community Development Monitors (CDMs) in the Municipality.
A total of 75 CDMs, selected across the Municipality took part in the training which is aim at building their capacity to monitor projects of the Municipal Assembly in their communities.
Yowe being the lead CSO in the entire Krobo Land area is one of the civil society organisations that are implementing the Ghana Strengthening and Accountability mechanism (GSAM) project in 50 districts of Ghana.
Hon. Simon Kweku Tetteh, MCE for Lower Manya Krobo Municipality addressing the participants at the opening ceremony applauds the main sponsors of the initiative, USAID with support from Care, Isodec and Oxfam for implementing this all important project which has given the community the opportunity to be involved in developing their various areas through a transparent project execution processes.
Hon. Simon Kweku Tetteh in his address continued to acknowledge the numerous supports and advice given to his honourable office by Yowe through the GSAM project initiative which has been very helpful in completing over 6 infrastructure development projects which were successfully monitored by the GSAM project and notable among them are the 9-Unit Teachers Bungalow at Oborpah East, CHIP Compounds at Piengua Yokwenor, Oborpah Djikiti and Wawase among others.
He concluded by pledging his continuous support and commitment to the GSAM project which has gotten the community involved in the development plans of the various MMDA’S.
The training of CDMs is taking place across the 50 GSAM districts by the GSAM Consortium (CARE International in Ghana, OXFAM in Ghana and ISODEC) in collaboration with 25 other civil society organisations and with funding from the USAID.
A total of 3,750 citizens selected from 750 communities are being trained to serve as CDMs in their communities.
CDMs are community members who are trained to lead other members to monitor and assess projects (i.e. classroom blocks, clinics, toilets, boreholes, market stalls, etc.) that are being constructed or have been earmarked for construction in their communities by their respective District Assemblies.
This is to ensure quality projects, get citizens’ needs addressed and reduce the possibility of corruption.
The training will, among other things, enhance their knowledge in District Assemblies’ planning processes, the legal framework for citizen participation in local governance and the processes for monitoring projects and engaging with their assemblies to get their concerns addressed.
In an exclusive interview with Mr. Emmanuel Siakwah, President of YOWE after the training program which took place at the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly Hall, he called the Gsam project a successful initiative which has bridged the gap between the MMDA’S and their subjects which are the ordinary people in the communities they serve.
