[B]The World Bank has approved an International Development Association (IDA) grant of 07 billion Francs CFA to Togo to fund the second phase of the Community Development and Safety Net Project (PDCplus). The signing of this agreement took place Thursday, April 12, 2012 in Lomé between the Togolese Minister of economy and finance, Adji Otèth Ayassor and the resident representative of the World Bank in Togo, Hervé Assah.[/B]
The objective of this new funding is to provide poor communities greater access to basic socio-economic infrastructure and to set up a national social safety net system.
The “PDC plus” will actually achieve 320 new micro projects including about 170 community socioeconomic infrastructure micro projects will be carried out to help people access improved health, education, water, and sanitation. Communities will be provided with the resources to carry out these projects and empowered to take charge of their own development and 150 income-generating activities; the project will also offer potential jobs to 10,000 poor people, with a focus on reaching rural youth. In addition, a pilot cash transfer program will target children at risk of malnutrition or already severely malnourished in the northern regions of Kara and Savanes, where malnutrition rates are the highest in the country.
Resident Representative For the World Bank in Togo, Hervé Assah, this new funding is provided to the Togolese government based on the results of the first phase of the PDC, the execution of these accomplishments is provided by “les Agences d’Appui aux Initiatives à la Base” (AGAIB) under the supervision of the Minister of Development, Crafts, Youth and Youth Employment, Victoire Tomegah-Dogbé.
The Minister of economy and finance, Adji Otèth Ayassor has expressed his gratitude to the World Bank for its constant support to the Togolese government and urged AGAIB to a rigorous management in the interest of poor people in the rural areas.
The PDCplus is aligned with the World Bank’s new strategy for Africa, which prioritizes ways to reduce vulnerability and strengthen resilience among poor people, it also dovetails with the efforts of the Togolese authorities to promote community-based development and improve the national social security system. Finally, it complements a UNICEF-funded project that treats severely malnourished children and provides preventive services in villages.
