By Lincoln G. Peters
BONG/GRAND CAPE MOUNT COUNTIES, August 14, 2026 — The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has provided more than US$700,000 in cash assistance, agricultural support and water and sanitation facilities to vulnerable communities in Bong and Grand Cape Mount counties.
The intervention targets communities affected by natural disasters and economic hardship and forms part of the Commission’s humanitarian and social affairs response aimed at strengthening livelihoods and improving access to basic services.
Speaking during engagements with beneficiaries, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed, Head of Delegation and Acting Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs at the ECOWAS Commission, said the initiative reflects the regional body’s commitment to placing citizens at the center of regional integration.
He said the intervention demonstrates ECOWAS’ efforts to move beyond an institution focused primarily on governments and states to one whose programs directly impact ordinary citizens.
“This project reflects ECOWAS’ commitment to moving from an ECOWAS of States to an ECOWAS of the people,” Dr. Mohammed said.
In Bong County, several beneficiaries received US$250 each in cash assistance to help recover from disasters or strengthen their livelihoods.
Among them was Kpanah Kollie, whose home was destroyed by flooding. She said the disaster left her family without shelter and destroyed belongings they had accumulated over the years.
“I lost my home because of the flooding. The hardship caused by the disaster was immeasurable,” Kollie said, adding that the assistance provided her family with much-needed support as they seek to rebuild.
Another beneficiary, Angeline Urey, received assistance through the agricultural component of the project to strengthen her farming activities and improve her household’s food production and income-generating capacity.
Solema Dowar, another beneficiary, said she used her US$250 cash transfer to expand her used-clothes business. She said the assistance provided working capital for the business while helping her meet household expenses, including school fees.
In Bo-Waterside, Grand Cape Mount County, the ECOWAS intervention focused partly on improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene services through the construction of hand pumps.
Residents said the facilities are helping communities that have faced longstanding challenges accessing safe drinking water.
Sakie Sambollah, a youth leader and resident of Bo-Waterside, praised ECOWAS for supporting the construction of the hand pumps, saying the facilities are providing residents with safer and more accessible sources of drinking water.
Musa Kromah, an elderly resident of Bo-Waterside, was also among beneficiaries who received assistance under the intervention.
The initiative forms part of ECOWAS’ broader humanitarian efforts to help vulnerable communities recover from disasters while providing livelihood opportunities intended to strengthen their economic resilience.
