MORE than 75 houses have already been completed at Yarrowkabra Hyde Park, Region Four, with over 50 beneficiaries allocated to a government initiative that will attach shade houses to their homes.
The new initiative creates new opportunities for single mothers to generate income and improve household food security.
Minister within the Ministry of Housing, Vanessa Benn, made the disclosure last Saturday during an outreach at the Kuru Kuru Training College, where she outlined plans to strengthen the economic impact of the housing development through agriculture.
The initiative forms part of the Ministry of Housing’s efforts to move beyond the provision of shelter by incorporating livelihood opportunities into housing projects.
Under the Yarrowkabra programme, beneficiaries will be provided with shade houses where they can cultivate vegetables for household consumption and commercial purposes.
“This project is going to enable each of those beneficiaries to have a shade house attached to their home,” Minister Benn said.
She explained that the produce from the shade houses could provide beneficiaries with an additional source of income to support their families, including meeting mortgage payments and expenses associated with sending their children to school.
The initiative is particularly geared towards single mothers, providing them with an avenue to strengthen their household incomes while simultaneously improving the nutritional value of meals consumed by their families.
“We are going to be working a lot more diligently on that project very soon. We have over 50 persons who are already allocated,” the minister said.
The minister said discussions are already underway with key agricultural stakeholders to advance the initiative, noting that she recently met with Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha and other partners.
A two-day training programme is also being planned for the beneficiaries to equip them with the knowledge and practical skills required to effectively manage their shade houses and maximise production.
The initiative also presents an opportunity for stronger collaboration between the housing and agriculture sectors, with government agencies expected to assist beneficiaries with technical support and market access. (DPI)