French Embassy undertakes 16 projects in 2 regions

hTHE French Embassy in Accra has since 2006 undertaken 16 development projects in the Central and Western regions at a total cost of 80,000 euros.
The projects, funded under the Social Development Fund (SDF) of the embassy, were geared towards poverty alleviation in deprived communities in the country.
The SFD Co-ordinator, Mr Julien Morel, told the Daily Graphic that the French government, through the fund, provided money with the approval of a constituted committee to non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which presented good proposals to lead development projects.
He said although the SDF was primarily concentrating its efforts on the two regions, funds, in some cases, were also extended to other regions where NGOs needed assistance to complete viable projects.
Mr Morel, however, stated that the committee had on a number of occasions rejected assistance extended to it by some NGOs whose proposals failed to meet the laid-down criteria.
He noted that attention was focussed, particularly on women and the youth under the fund, adding that the embassy received excellent feedback from its team which followed up on the implementation of its support projects.
Mr Morel noted with satisfaction that proposals received from NGOs so far had been good, and pledged his organisation’s commitment to support well-intentioned development initiatives.
He also commended the government for implementing human-centred policies that had won the confidence and trust of his government.
The Head of Co-operation at the French Embassy, Mr Arnaud Dornon, in a separate interview, stated that the decision to concentrate funds in the Central and Western regions was to give meaning to the French government’s action plan that it implemented in those regions in the areas of agriculture, support for coconut production, district training and equipment, among others.
He said those projects were essentially aimed at generating income for the beneficiaries to improve their access to health and other social activities.