LEAP-ing out of poverty

from The Statesman

The Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty programme, aimed at providing financial support to the extreme poor, vulnerable and excluded sections of the population officially kicks off today. 15,000 households in 20 districts drawn from all the 10 regions are expected to benefit this year.

LEAP is a social grant scheme under the National Social Protection Strategy programme document developed by the Government of Ghana to enhance the capacity of the poor and vulnerable persons by assisting them to manage socio-economic risks, such as unemployment, sickness, disability and old age.

These interventions are meant to improve the livelihood of the extreme poor by reducing the impact of risks and shocks that confront them. This is based on the principle that every Ghanaian matters and is capable of contributing his or her quota to national development.

The Statesman supports this bold initiative of Government to protect and fend for the citizenry against shocks and also help improve their ability to contribute to economic development. Ghana by this initiative joins countries like Brazil, Turkey, South Africa and Mexico using social grants to address extreme poverty.

But LEAP must not be viewed in isolation. It joins other social programmes as the National Health Insurance Scheme, School Feeding Programme, Capitation Grant, National Youth Employment Programme, as a concrete example of Government's determination to care for all members of the society.

Poverty trends show that an estimated 40 percent of Ghanaians are poor, thus referring to citizens who have the capacity to meet their basic nutritional needs, but are unable to cater for additional necessities such as health, shelter, clothing and education.

According to the Ghana Statistical Service in the Ghana Living Standards Survey, in 2006 there are 880,000 extremely poor households in Ghana representing about 18.2 percent of the population. These are households who cannot meet their minimum nutritional requirements even if they use their entire income on food alone.

LEAP intends to reach the lowest 20 percent of the 800,000 extremely poor households, that is, 164,370 households over the 5 year period.

Specific groups have been identified as generally eligible for LEAP: households with aged poor, 65 years and above, caregivers of orphans and vulnerable children, persons with disabilities without productive capacities.

Deprived women and children are to be major beneficiaries, since there is evidence that supporting women directly improves the well being of children and other members of the household.

Through the LEAP, Government intends to empower households with a combination of cash, conditionalities and linkage to existing social protection interventions.

LEAP has the potential to increase school enrolment among children in extreme poor households, reduce infant morality, improve nutrition, and ensure birth registration. This will also improved the local economy with the enhanced purchasing power of the extreme poor.

The outcome of this noble initiative by Government is that a minimum GH¢8 to a maximum of GH¢15 per household per month, depending on the number of people who qualify in the household, shall be given. Payment is expected to be made every two months through the Ghana Post using the current Money Transfer Scheme.

After the 15,000 households to be covered this year, the number will rise to 35,000 in 2009. And at the end of the five years period in 2012, 164,370 households would be covered.

The social development framework is based on the principle that target groups must first be supported to attain their basic human needs in order to sustain their livelihoods; they must be insulated or protected from shocks that might cause them to slide back into poverty; and they must be able to access opportunities and existing social programmes that will promote and improve the depth and breath of their lives; and finally they must be empowered to participate in and benefit from social policy development, institutional access and democratic processes.

The lead implementing agency is the Department of Social Welfare of the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment which has the mandate to promote the rights of the vulnerable and excluded. The Ministry will coordinate the existing Social Protection interventions.

The Statesman wishes to appeal to all the doubting Thomases and critics who insist that the LEAP is a political gimmick to closely monitor its implementation and help make it succeed.

The argument that Government is throwing away money in a bid to buy votes, to this paper, is just a desperate attempt to throw dust into people's eyes.

The Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment, Nana Akomea in February this year dismissed such allegations. "The objection that a welfare programme is dubious because it is an election year is a very unworthy objection. If pursued, then indeed, all development activities should cease in an election year."

What we must guard against is abuse of the programme. We must be careful to prevent the creation of a comfort zone, where people are happier staying unemployed and being catered for by the state than working and earning a living.

Indeed, even in the advanced countries, where Welfarism has been practiced for a long time, it has been occasionally subjected to abuse. But, there is no need to re-invent the wheel. Learning from others how to plug the loopholes would ensure the success of the programme.

While others go about screaming themselves hoarse about 'Caring for You,’ this Government has steadily, practically shown its concern for all strata of the Ghanaian society.

It is quite ironic that a party seen by some as one for the elite should be the one implementing a programme to ensure egalitarianism.