Mr Frederick F. Faidoo, the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), has hailed the great impacts the Twin-Cities in Sustainable Project (TCSPP) has had on the lives of the people of Sekondi-Takoradi for the past three years.
He said the benefits of the project had been profound, and that it had delivered practical solutions in urban governance, climate resilience, and sustainable livelihood opportunities within the Metropolis.
He said this at the results dissemination and closure meeting of the TCSPP, held in Takoradi.
The TCSPP initiative, which has ended, was implemented by the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) and its sister-city in ltaly, Palermo Municipality, in collaboration with the Centre for Social Science Research, Kumasi Technical University and other international partners.
It was a three-year European Union (EU) funded initiative that sought to enhance the capacity of the STMA to address the increasing challenges of urban management, climate change, unemployment, and poverty among other issues within the Metropolis.
During the closure meeting, Mr Faidoo highlighted the major impacts the TCSPP had had within its implementing period, stating that through grants and mentorship support, 14 social enterprises were established by the trainees in urban agriculture techniques, and climate-related enterprises.
He said 52 artists were recapitalised to produce artworks for exhibition at international cultural festivals held in Sekondi-Takoradi and Palermo, in June and September 2024, respectively.
The MCE said the project helped the STMA to increase its Internally Generated Funds (IGF) from 1.67 per cent in 2021 to 18.29 per cent in 2024, exceeding targets and significantly enhancing local autonomy.
Mr Faidoo noted that a total of 234 female-headed households received support through urban agriculture, sanitation, and livelihood interventions, resulting in improved safety, dignity, and living standards.
The MCE indicated that in line with the project’s focus to expand toilet access for poor, vulnerable, and marginalised households in open defecation-prone and public toilet dependent communities, 51 unemployed youth, three prison officers, and eight inmates were trained in bio-digester toilet construction using Biofil technology.
“At the end, 500 household toilets have been constructed and handed over to vulnerable people, including the aged, PWDs, and poor single mothers across the Metropolis.
“This intervention has significantly reduced open defecation across the Metropolis, with the greatest impact observed in coastal communities,” Mr Faidoo added.
According to him, beyond improving sanitation and public health, the initiative had created a pool of skilled youth and provided inmates and prison officers with livelihood-enhancing opportunities, thereby contributing to sustainability and social reintegration.
The MCE stated that the TCSPP had also made significant investments in climate-smart policies where more than 10,800 trees were planted across schools, institutions, communities, and farming areas, with survival rates exceeding 80 per cent.
He said: “The project also facilitated the establishment of 12 green social enterprises, created 460 jobs, and generated income opportunities in urban agriculture, plastic recycling, eco-friendly fish processing, and bio-digester technologies.”
In addition, Mr Faidoo noted that women and youth were equipped with a practical green skills training programme, while 6,919 students benefited from hands-on climate education through school climate clubs, nurturing a new generation of environmentally conscious citizens and stewards of sustainability.
He mentioned other impacts, and called on all stakeholders to continue to support the Assembly in sustaining these gains, to help strengthen service delivery, and expand opportunities for job creation, particularly for unemployed youth and other vulnerable groups within the Metropolis.
Madam Silvia Severi, Head of Cooperation, the European Union Delegation to Ghana, said with a budget of Three million euros, the EU did not only invest in projects, it invested in people, communities, and the future of Sekondi-Takoradi.
She said: “This project has not only transformed lives in Sekondi-Takoradi, from young students to artisans, urban farmers, and vulnerable families, but also built a bridge of solidarity between Europe and Ghana, proving that shared commitment creates lasting change.”
Source: GNA
Source: ghanabusinessnews.com
