Akropong-Akuapem: GMK Consultancy, a firm outsourced by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) with support from the World Bank, has organized a training program for selected LEAP enumerators from three Akuapem Districts. The districts include Akuapem North, Akuapem South, and Okere. The training aimed to equip enumerators with the skills to administer questionnaires and conduct interviews to identify vulnerable groups in the communities for the LEAP re-assessment.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Caesar Godson, the Head of the Statistical Unit in the Akuapem North Municipal Assembly, shared that the five-day program was designed to provide enumerators with comprehensive knowledge in registering household members in the communities affected by poverty. He highlighted that the statistical office, in collaboration with the District LEAP Implementation Committee (DLIC), had trained focal persons in the communities to ensure a quality and efficient re-assessment process.
Mr. Godson elaborated on the training regimen, stating that enumerators were instructed on how to administer questionnaires in household settings. The training covered interview strategies and criteria for eliciting responses from community members. Additionally, to ensure efficiency during the re-assessment process, enumerators participated in a mock exercise within a community to prepare for the actual re-assessment.
Interviews with Mr. Laud Akuffo and Mr. Samuel Amoah Opare, both enumerators from Akuapem South and North respectively, revealed a consensus on the need to update the system. They noted that some beneficiaries had remained on the scheme for years despite no longer meeting the vulnerability criteria. The enumerators emphasized the importance of enrolling eligible beneficiaries and removing those who no longer qualify.
Mr. Akuffo expressed that for many marginalized individuals, accessing LEAP interventions or funds remains their primary means of survival, a sentiment he strongly agreed with.
