The Upper East Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) has reaffirmed its commitment to working with World Vision Ghana to address the development challenges confronting communities across the region.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugri Atanga, gave the assurance when a delegation from World Vision Ghana, led by its Strategy and Integrated Programmes Director, Joshua Baido, paid a courtesy call on him at the RCC in Bolgatanga on Monday.
The visit formed part of World Vision Ghana’s stakeholder engagement aimed at assessing its interventions in the region and strengthening collaboration with key institutions.
Mr. Baido said the visit was also intended to reciprocate an earlier engagement by the Regional Minister with the organisation and to acknowledge the RCC’s support for the implementation of its programmes.
In response, Mr. Akamugri commended World Vision Ghana for its contribution to the development of the Upper East Region but noted that significant challenges remained, particularly in the education sector.
He cited the persistent shortage of school infrastructure, explaining that some schools in the region still operate under trees, exposing pupils to harsh weather conditions.
The Minister disclosed that he had presented a list of schools requiring support to World Vision Ghana, which subsequently referred the request to its partner non-governmental organisations working in the education sector.
Mr. Akamugri also identified poverty and limited economic opportunities as major challenges confronting households across the region.
He called for increased investment in all-year-round farming, particularly through interventions that would provide farmers with reliable access to water.
The Minister proposed the construction of mechanised boreholes to support women and other farmers in engaging in dry-season and year-round agricultural production as a means of improving household incomes.
He also reflected on his experience as a former Assembly Member in the Bongo District, where he served for 16 years, describing it as evidence of World Vision’s longstanding impact in the region.
According to him, the establishment of a World Vision Resource Centre in the district provided a much-needed venue for community and institutional meetings at a time when the district lacked such a facility.
He said the centre had since become an important community asset. Mr. Akamugri further noted that many young people who benefited from World Vision’s educational interventions had grown into responsible members of society.
He therefore called for sustained collaboration between development partners and state institutions to address the region’s development needs.
The Regional Minister also briefed the World Vision delegation on the outcome of the recently concluded PEARL (Prosperity through Enterprise, Agriculture, Resilience and Livelihoods) consultation forum.
He described the outcome document from the consultation as a blueprint for the development of the Upper East Region and said the RCC would share it with World Vision Ghana.
According to him, this would enable the organisation to identify areas where its programmes could be aligned with the region’s development priorities.
Mr. Akamugri assured World Vision Ghana of the RCC’s continued cooperation as it implements its programmes across the region.
For his part, Mr. Baido expressed appreciation to the Regional Minister and the RCC for their continued support and collaboration, which he said had contributed significantly to the successful implementation of World Vision Ghana’s interventions in the Upper East Region.
