The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) has commenced a three-day community dialogue on social protection and related social issues at Zoggu in the Nanton District of the Northern Region as part of efforts to strengthen public awareness and community participation in government welfare programmes.

The programme, organised by the Ministry’s Social Protection Directorate, is aimed at enhancing understanding of key social protection interventions while encouraging greater community involvement in the implementation and monitoring of such initiatives at the grassroots level.

Participants are being engaged on a wide range of issues, including the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme, the Ghana School Feeding Programme, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Single Window Citizens’ Engagement Service, the Affirmative Action Act, human trafficking, domestic violence, child labour and child welfare policies.

According to the Ministry, the dialogue seeks to deepen public knowledge of available social services and interventions while promoting community ownership to ensure their effectiveness and sustainability.

The engagement also provides a platform for residents to interact with officials and share concerns relating to social welfare programmes.

As part of the exercise, indigent residents within the community are being registered onto the National Health Insurance Scheme to improve their access to healthcare services.

The Ministry believes the initiative will contribute to strengthening social protection systems and improving the wellbeing of vulnerable populations in the district.