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The Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Otiko Afisa Djaba, has advised non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to step up their work by concentrating on how to make a real impact in communities where they are needed.

"Stop the tea drinking workshops and thinking that someone has to solve your problem. The problems are in the communities. We do a lot of things in the nice conference rooms and we are talking about beneficiaries who are far away from the conference rooms,” she said.

According to the minister, Ghana has had enough of capacity building in the area of social protection and it is now time for more action to cause and deliver the necessary societal changes for better lives of the vulnerable and the marginalized in society.

The minister also called for NGOs to focus on their various specialized areas so that a lot can be achieved within the shortest possible time.

"Have a map of all the areas. Know the baseline of the issues. Depending on your area of specialization, you go to that area and we are that these are the targets? “Madam Djaba urged.

The Minister made the comments when she was addressing a gathering of CSOs and NGOs in the Volta Region at the Regional Coordinating Council conference room as part of a familiarization tour of the region.

The tour offered the minister an opportunity to interact with various stakeholders related to her ministry and to also to have firsthand information on activities and programmes undertaken by agencies under her ministry.