Indigenes of Builsa Traditional Area in the Upper East Region, living in other parts of the country and abroad, are joining forces to lend support in the development of their home district. Coming under the umbrella of the ‘Builsa Development Network’ (BD-NET), the group is initiating projects and mobilizing resources to advance the developmental agenda of the Builsa land. Members of the network are working in groups to spearhead diverse activities aimed at complementing the efforts of the Builsa District Assembly and the central government in bring socio-economic development to the people of Buluk. Speaking at a fund raising event in Kumasi, President of the BD-Net, David Ananbam, mentioned core project initiatives to cover the areas of health, agriculture, education, culture and tourism. He told Luv FM a Guinea Fowl Project, which has started on a pilot basis, is key to economically empower communities in the area. “Ninety percent of our people are dependent on Guinea Fowl because it’s gender friendly; children can do it, women can do it, men can do it, and it’s easy to do… we have been assured of having a large piece of land and we want to put [up] a permanent structure, get permanent workers on it and then hatch the eggs and distribute it to everybody, not only in our district but the whole of the north”, he emphasized. The Network will also liaise and collaborate with the District Assembly, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and beneficiary communities for desilting of existing dams and construction of new ones. Builsa District Chief Executive, Norbert Awulley said “the district assembly is leaving no stone unturned in our efforts to improve the standard of living of our people, but we cannot do it single handedly. The task involved requires a concerted effort of all including civil society organizations such as yours. “The Assembly is overwhelmed with development challenges such as the provision of social infrastructure and other basic amenities including payment of fees of students”. The DCE noted the District Security Council is committed to ensuring peace and tranquility prevail in the area for development to thrive. “To this end, the Assembly is putting up a court block in Sandema [the district capital] to assist the Magistrate Court in bringing justice to our people. Procurement process has also been initiated for the construction of the Traditional Council Hall to assist the traditional authority in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)”, Mr. Awulley stated. He said the assembly will continue to partner development-oriented organizations to improve living standards in the district. Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh/Luv Fm/Ghana