A fund designed to provide small credits to traders, food vendors and small business owners in Zongo communities across Ghana is being finalised, President John Dramani Mahama has announced, with the government set to brief the National Chief Imam and Muslim chiefs on the steps being taken toward its launch.
The President made the disclosure on Wednesday during his address at the Eid ul Adha prayers, telling the gathering that the Zongo Fund coordinator and other relevant officials are actively working on getting the Soyeya Fund off the ground.
He said once operational, the fund will be accessible to anyone in a Zongo community running a small business.
The Soyeya Fund announcement was part of a package of commitments the President outlined for Zongo communities during the address.
He said road construction and rehabilitation projects will soon begin in several Zongo communities, starting with road networks and spreading to other infrastructure.
Modern community day e-block STEM secondary schools will also be built in densely populated Zongo and urban communities so that children can access quality secondary education without having to travel far from home.
President Mahama also announced that 6,000 Arabic teachers have been recruited through the Youth Employment Agency to support Islamic education, and that all of them have been fully paid with no arrears outstanding.
He said the government plans to expand the initiative and recruit more Arabic teachers in the coming years.
The President said no community will be left behind in the government’s development agenda, adding that the progress being made in Zongo communities reflects a deliberate effort to improve infrastructure, sanitation, education, healthcare and economic opportunities across all such areas in Ghana.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
