The Ministry of Manpower Youth and Employment through the National Social Protection Strategy, Wednesday presented some items to the Department of Social Welfare to assist in the implementation of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty programme. The items included two 4-wheel drive vehicles, 21 Galaxy motor cycles, 20 computers and their accessories and some digital cameras. The LEAP programme, which is currently being implemented nationwide from 2008 - 2012, has so far made a significant national contribution to the fight against vulnerability and exclusion for the extremely poor citizens in Ghana. LEAP was launched in March 2008 with 1,550 households receiving a grant of between GH¢8 and GH¢ 15 per household, depending on the number of beneficiaries. In June 2008, it expanded to assist 3,200 households in 20 districts across the regions. In view of this tremendous progress, the Ministry said it intended to scale up the programme by rolling out in 50 districts nationwide in 15,000 households with cash grants by the end of this year. The Minister for Manpower Youth and Employment, Nana Akomeah, who presented the items on behalf of his outfit, said the logistics were to help cover a lot of households within a short time so as to reach the targeted number. He maintained that all those efforts were to help the Government to achieve its goal of making Ghana a middle income nation by the year 2015. The Director of the Department of Social Welfare, Maggi Kutsoati, who received the items on behalf of the Department, indicated that, since they were mandated to provide implement the LEAP project to provide assistance to the vulnerable, there hadn't been such logistical support. She was optimistic that with the donation the implementation process was going to be as fast as possible. She also assured the Minister that the equipment would be put to proper use. Source: The Statesman