THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SUPPORTS AYOKOA COMMUNITY TO INITIATE A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT TO CONSTRUCT A COMMUNITY CENTER.

The Department of Social Welfare and Community Development on the 2^nd May 2023 led the people of Ayokoa to take steps to initiate a community project to construct a community center in the community. The Odikro of the community, Nana John Anokye, and the leaders of the community identified challenges the community faced due to the lack of a community center in their community. In his address during the occasion, Odikro revealed that the lack of a community center affects community gatherings to take decisions toward their development. He indicated that the community relies on churches and school buildings to hold meetings. This, therefore, makes participation in the community decision-making process difficult due to limited space and the difficulties members of the community face due to a lack of seats and space. This, therefore, affects the participation of community members. He added that funerals, weddings, and other ceremonies are held in an open space which required hiring and renting of chairs and canopies. Aside from the cost involved, programs are brought to an instant halt anytime it threatens to rain and this is affecting members of the communities. In addition to this, the community lacks a market center and the availability of the community center can serve the purpose of enhancing trade and creating employment in the community. There have been several attempts to initiate this project in the community but due to a lack of accountability in previous activities, it has become difficult for this project to be initiated. This is therefore called for the intervention of the District Assembly through the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development to take the community through processes to enhance participation and accountability. The program brought together 116 community members representing their various households and families. Fifty (50) of the community members present at the occasion were males and sixty-eight (68) were females.

This report, therefore, outlines the objective of the program, the legal basis backing the community-initiated project, the terms of agreed payments to support the project, the accountability process, the date for payment and agreed penalties, and the processes for addressing grievances related to the project.

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE ENGAGEMENT

The main objective of this engagement with the Ayokoa community was to guide and lead them to take necessary steps toward initiating the community center project.

The following were the specific objectives;

1. To enlighten the community members on the legal backing of community-initiated projects
2. To guide the community members to set an amount or levy for each community member towards the construction of the project
3. To help the community comes out with accountability processes for the community-initiated project
4. To lead the community to set commencement and deadline dates for the project as well as setting associated fines and penalties for defaulters
5. To set up a grievance mechanism to help manage issues emanating from the project.

THE LEGAL BACKING OF COMMUNITY-INITIATED PROJECTS

The District Head of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development indicated that the community-initiated projects are there to complement the government’s developmental agenda. He indicated that government alone cannot supply all the goods, services, and projects requirement for each community and therefore there is a need for the community to come together and implement projects that would be beneficial to their development and not contravene the government policies and laws. He stated that two laws backed the initiation of community projects and these are the District Bye-law and the Chieftaincy Acts.

He mentioned that the District Bye-law has a section that talked about the need for initiating community projects and empowers Assembly members, unit committees, and leaders of the committees to lead the process. He added that there are associated penalties for defaulters and recalcitrant persons. He indicated that the Chieftaincy Acts empower the chiefs and traditional leaders to embark on community-initiated projects which fall under communal labor. The law also empowers all community members to comply and participate in the process with sanctions associated with those who refuse to participate. He added that it is therefore expedient for the Assembly to lead in the process and advise members of the community to participate in this important exercise as a tool to help build the community and enhance development. He, therefore, pleads with community members to participate fully and ensure that this decision-making process is taken by them.

 COMMUNITY LEVY AND SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT

The Head of the Social Welfare and Community Development of the Assembly led the community to agree on the following levies;

1. all the community leaders and opinion leaders who do not participate in communal labor due to their status in the community shall pay GHS 50.00 to support the project
2. All members of the community from 18 years to 64 years who do not fall among the exemption category shall pay an amount of GHS 30.00. These include community members who stay and work in the community; community members who work in the community but stay outside the community and community members who stay in the community but work outside the community.
3. All members of the community who hail from the community but work and stay outside the community shall pay GHS 50.00

The following categories were exempted from paying the above-listed levies;

1. All children under the age of 18 years
2. All persons of 65 years and above. They can support voluntarily but are not mandatory.
3. Any young person above the age of 18 years but in apprenticeship training or still pursuing education. This does not include any persons pursuing a second type of apprenticeship training or pursuing further studies above degree level.
4. Any other persons who due to sickness or severe disability or in a state making it difficult to pursue any economic activity.

ACCOUNTABILITY PROCESSES

The following were the decision led by the Head of Social Welfare and Community Development to ensure accountability and transparency in the collection of the levy towards the project.

1. The community agreed to open a bank account for the project in which all collected amounts shall be deposited.
2. The signatories to the accounts are Odikro, the treasurer, and the committee secretary.
3. The community agreed that only three persons shall be mandated to collect the levies and shall ensure that receipts are issued to any person who made the full payment.
4. All the collected amount shall be accounted to the treasurer who shall onwards transfer the amount to the bank account.
5. Any member of the community should make a payment shall be publicly acknowledged on the community information center
6. The project committee shall the end of every month call for a meeting and account to the community and necessary actions to be taken with the community on the project. Every action done on the project shall effectively be decided by the community.

DEADLINE FOR PAYMENT AND OTHER PENALTIES

The community agreed on the date for commencement of the project set to be 3 May 2023 and the deadline for payment shall be 31^st July 2023.

The following are the sanctions associated with defaulters;

1. Anybody who fails to meet the deadline set without reasonable reason agreed upon by the project committee shall pay double the initial payment.
2. A two-week payment period shall be set for the penalty payment and if the person fails, the community shall forward the list of defaulters to the Assembly for the necessary measures and actions. 

The community agreed that payment shall be done in installments and anybody with genuine concerns about the payment shall meet the project committee for further action.

GRIEVANCES MECHANISMS AND RESOLUTION

The Head of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development assisted the community to put up grievance mechanisms and resolutions to help settle issues related to the project and ensure peace, transparency, and good relation exist among community members. A three-member committee was set up to resolve issues related to the project. Community members were tasked to channel all matters and grievances on the project to the committee. The committee was granted three days to resolve any related matter brought to them. Issues beyond them are to be referred to the Department for necessary redress. He, therefore, advised community members to refrain from making unjustified claims and assumptions which may affect the progress of the project and tarnish the images of members of the committee or leaders.

CONCLUSION

The program was successful and the objective of the program was achieved. Community members expressed delight in the process. The Department assured the community of the support of the Assembly in helping address issues relating to the project and that the doors of the Assembly are open to all to come with their issues. The project committee and the leaders of the community assured the Assembly of ensuring proper accountability is done to win the trust of the community members in mobilizing their support for any other events. The Department encouraged them that the success of this project would speak much about the community and would send a good message to people both around and beyond. The meeting came to a close at 12:45 pm.