Women in the Vea community in the Bongo District have shared GH�9,161 they realised from their savings for 2013 to invest in farming and other income- generating activities.
The 75 women, constituting five groups, received various sums that ranged from GH�50 to GH�296.
The initiative was under the Integrated Community Empowerment Programme (INCOME) initiated by Trade Aid a non-governmental organisation.
An amount of GH�844 was also realised from their social fund designed by the women to support members in times of emergency, especially when a member or child is sick and requires financial assistance.
Interest on loans
For 2013, the group realised GH�1,000 from its interest on loans.
Madam Apana Anea, who received GH�296 as the highest saver among the women, said she planned to buy farm inputs for her farm and to buy some raw materials for her basket weaving.
Madam Akolgo Nsoh, a beneficiary, said the savings had helped them immensely, and that she and her family had been able to renew their health insurance.
Ms Vida Virginia Boyubie, Project Co-ordinator of INCOME, said the objectives of the village savings and loans association was to support men and women in northern Ghana to attain food security and improve their economic status.
Ms Boyubie said Trade Aid partnered the Canadian Feed the Children on the food security component to enhance beneficiaries� income status, and ensure availability of food all year round and also to cut down on mass migration to the south during non-farming seasons.
Three-year project
She said the three-year INCOME project, which started in 2012, had rolled out other support activities that included training on agronomic practices for cultivation of rice, groundnuts and millet and post-harvest management.
She said the project was also practised at Biu in the Kassena Nankana District and Sumbrungu in the Bolgatanga Municipality and added that her outfit also provided farm inputs such as bullock ploughs and bullocks and gave small ruminants to farmers.
A craft centre, which was donated to the group by Trade Aid, also doubled as a kindergarten for the children of the women while they worked, and according to the project co-ordinator, Trade Aid supported the basket weavers by finding a market for the finished products.
She said under the INCOME project, the group members were trained in literacy and book keeping skills, which helped the treasurers of the groups to record their savings and by using symbols and figures for easy recording and accounting.
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