SEND Ghana calls for collaboration among COCOBOD, LBCs, and MMDAs to enhance community development

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SEND Ghana calls for collaboration among COCOBOD, LBCs, and MMDAs to enhance community development

Mrs. Harriet Nuamah Agyemang, Senior Programme Officer at SEND Ghana, has emphasized the importance of collaboration between the Ghana Cocoa Board (), Licencing Buying Companies (LBCs), and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to ensure efficient and coordinated development projects in cocoa-growing communities.

The call for collaboration follows a survey conducted by SEND Ghana in partnership with , which revealed instances of and LBCs implementing public service projects in cocoa-growing communities without prior consultation with the MMDAs. Mrs Agyemang stressed that such actions not only undermine the harmonization of projects but also hinder the MMDAs' ability to assess the gender responsiveness of these initiatives.

During the presentation of the survey findings in , Mrs Agyemang highlighted the importance of involving MMDAs in project planning to ensure alignment with community needs and existing development plans. She emphasized the pivotal role of MMDAs in community development and urged COCOBOD and LBCs to collaborate with them during the planning process to avoid duplication of efforts and wastage of resources.

The survey, conducted between March and May 2023 across seven districts in the Eastern and Central regions, aimed to explore the gender responsiveness of public services provided by MMDAs, COCOBOD, and LBCs funded by revenue from the cocoa value chain. It revealed challenges such as low and fluctuating revenues from the cocoa sector at the district level and highlighted the need for more gender-responsive planning and budgeting.

Mrs Agyemang commended COCOBOD for its education and training initiatives, which have proven responsive to the needs of cocoa farmers. She urged COCOBOD to sustain and expand these efforts, particularly in education and health projects, to benefit both male and female farmers.

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