The Country Director of the United Nations Development Project (UNDP), Kamil Kamaldeen has expressed satisfaction at progress made by the Charia community in the Wa Municipality of the Upper West Region through development projects being implemented by the joint UN Human Security Program. Mr. Kamaldeen made the statements at an out-dooring of a new milling machine which is also part of efforts to increase food security and raise the living standards of the people in the community. After presenting a rice milling machine to the Mother-to-Mother Support Programme in the community, the UNDP Country Director could not hide his pleasure over the progress of the project. “Firstly, it is what we do for ourselves that lasts. If we pool resources together it works. What we do for ourselves and the resources we pool together will not work if we do not manage very well. If we have all the trees, and the peace to enjoy them and the fruit of our labor is absent, then there is nothing”. “It is all of these together that have gone into keeping the community clean, keeping the mills running, keeping the accounts in the bank and using the resources to do other things, freeing time for women and keeping our children healthy”, he added. The group which has been in existence since 2001 has over the years benefited from multinational donor support. Apart from the rice milling machine, the community, through the Women-to Women Support Programme has benefited from other projects like the Milling and fortification machine, certified seed beneficiary program small ruminant programme, post harvest training and water management workshops as well as compost and fertilizer training program. The WFP last year supported them with fortified food processing machines which have aided processing different kind of foods, thus helping in the eradication of malnutrition in the community and its environs. A leading member of the group said, most of their struggles have been alleviated and added that they are now more united than before. In his closing remarks, Mr. Kamaldeen said, what was witnessed was a collaborative effort between the government of Ghana, Japan as well as multinational agencies like the UNDP, UNIDO, FAO, WFP, UNICEF and UNU. He also appealed if there are many communities like Charia, then issues of peace and poverty shall be minimized. He assured the community of working together in other sectors in solving the problems of the Charia community. Earlier, the contingent, which is made of officials from the United Nations Development Projects, United Nations University, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, West African Network for Peace Building, National Food Security Programme, the World Food Programme as well as directors from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Local government paid a courtesy call on the Wa Naa, Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo IV. Naa Pelpuo expressed his delight over the success stories being recorded in the area due to the development interventions and called for more to be done.