Monitoring Visits to Sustainable Livelihoods Project

Yuka, Consultant for SWIDA-Ghana’s  Sustainable Livelihoods and Nutrition Improvement project with the World Food Programme, has been visiting a number of communities in Karaga to inspect the nursery beds of women who have been trained in vegetable farming.

So far, about 1860 women have been provided seedlings of leafy vegetables such as ‘aleyfu’ ‘ayoyo’, ‘bira’, onions and tomatoes to nurse.

The goal of the project, is to promote backyard farming in homes to enhance nutrition.

Yuka was led by Hafiz, one of SWIDA-Ghana’s field officers based in Karaga, as well as an officer with the Department of Social Welfare, Mohammed.

SWIDA-Ghana Director Calls for more Women in Leadership

Hajia Alimah Sagito-Saeed, has made it a passion to push for more women to aspire to take up leadership positions both at the national and community levels.

The Executive Director for SWIDA-Ghana has over the years been making this call and has backed it by action, as her organization has involved many young women in leadership mentoring, to enable them grow with interests in taking up leadership roles in society.

Speaking at the Gathering of Royals event in Accra, Hajia Alimah stressed that more women should be involved in leadership, as that will help “improve agriculture exponentially and therefore, mustn’t be compromised. Agricultural institutions and corporate bodies must engage more women in decision-making and in the implementation of projects”.

The ‘Gathering of Royals’, is an annual conference that brings together Queen Mothers, sub paramount queens and various stakeholders in agriculture, to deliberate on ways which women can improve capacity to enable them play their roles in the development of communities.

This year’s gathering is held at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel in Accra, with a separate theme on women’s capacity and leadership.

Hajia Alimah Sagito-Saeed whose speech focused on the area “Don’t Compromise Women in Leadership”, bemoaned how women are pushed back when it  comes to leadership, thereby inhibiting the wealth of knowledge and experience they can bring on board to create change.

According to her, “It is unfortunate that even with the constitution; women are denied opportunities and resources to build their capacity. It is therefore a matter of calling for action, and insisting on policy directions that can change the negative trend.”

A total of 86 Queen mothers, sub paramount Queens and various stakeholders are attending the ‘Gathering of Royals’ this year, to push the #Call-To-Action for women.

SWIDA-Gh Facilitates for VSLA members to own Bank Accounts

As part of steps towards improving operations of the Village Savings and Loans Associations in communities, the Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA-Gh), has been facilitating the creation of accounts with financial institutions by men and women in the various groups.

The Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA), are groups created through SWIDA-Ghana’s initiative to encourage members of its project communities to cultivate the habit of saving and creditworthiness, as these are needed for business growth.

Most of the members of the groups are engaged in petty trading, for which they need to be conscious about their expenditure and loan taking and repayment habits.

After years of saving in the VSLA boxes and sharing out their savings at the end of the year, SWIDA-Ghana found that members need to own bank accounts with credible financial institutions, since their money is growing and they have now grown in themselves the habit of saving.

This is also to increase the security around the money the VSLA members own, due to certain occurrences of theft and breakages on the boxes in which the money is saved.

The Village and Savings and Loans initiative is one of the oldest and flagship programmes of SWIDA-Ghana, through which the organization has empowered many women in rural northern Ghana, economically.

SWIDA-Ghana’s Training on Grass charcoal production

The Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA-Gh) had its officers and members from some of its project communities taken through training on grass charcoal production.

The training was aimed at improving the climate by shifting attention from degrading the lands for the purpose of charcoal production, to the usage of grass for charcoal.

It will also help prevent unnecessary burning of grass, which usually result in wildfires.

The training which was organized for the GhaFFaP members in Bolgatanga, was by the Milar Institute of Trans disciplinary and Development Studies (MITDS).

The participants were thankful to the organizers for the training, as they say it will help them reduce the practice of bush bushing for the purposes of charcoal production.

SWIDA–Ghana Participates in Resource Mobilization Workshop

Plan International Ghana, a key partner of SWIDA-Gh has held a three day training workshop on Resource Mobilization for 50 Women Rights Organizations (WROs) across the country, who are receiving support to implement various projects under its Women’s Voice and Leadership Project.

The objective of the workshop was to strengthen the capacity of the WROs to engage in effective resource mobilization for their organizations, as a way of sustaining the projects.

The facilitators were resource mobilization specialists with myriad of experience in the raising and management of resources for organizations.

Ms. Roberta Esi, Ms. Charlotte Kpogli and Mr. Benjamin Kofi Quansah have all practiced and support various organizations in the areas of resources mobilization and management.

The participating organizations found the training to be very informative and eye opening, as they assured the organizer they will be using the knowledge learnt to develop plans on resource mobilization for their organisations.

The organizations appreciated the Plan International Ghana team, and especially Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada for this insightful training.

SWIDA-Gh Partnership to Ending SGBV in Karaga District

SWIDA-Ghana in partnership with state actors and international partners have intensified the ‘UNiTE’ Campaign to end Sexual and Gender Based Violence against women and girls in Karaga, targeting women, adolescents, chiefs, youth leaders and religious leaders.

The Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA-Gh), with support from the World Food Programme (WFP), UNFPA and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) has been engaging the Karaga community on matters of SGBV and the roles of the people, in ending the practices.

At a community durbar in Karaga, the various stakeholders have been calling for an end to Sexual and Gender based Violence, especially on women and girls, as a way to ensure and attract development into the district.

Speaker after speaker at the durbar continued to call on chiefs and opinion leaders, as well as the community members to contribute to ending the menace.

The speakers at the durbar include the Karaga District Coordinating Director, the District Director for Social Welfare, the District Police Commander, the NCCE Director, the Ghana Health Service Nutrition Officer, a representative of the Karaga Chief, Secretary to the VSLAs groups and the Karaga SHS School Prefect.

In attendance to the durbar were over 300 women, men and youth.

The keynote speaker at the event was the District Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).

SWIDA-Ghana Sensitizes Students on Anti-Corruption

The savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA-Gh), has provided sensitization to some 600 students of the Savelugu Senior High School (SAVESS), as part of activities to mark the Anti-Corruption Day, 2022.

This action was necessitated by SWIDA-Gh’s continuous drive at empowering the younger generation to eschew all forms of potentially corrupt activities at the school level, beginning from themselves.

The 2022 Anti-Corruption Day was under the theme “UNiTE Against Corruption; Youth Against Corruption”.

The theme resonates with well with SWIDA-Gh’s efforts at contributing to raising a future generation of trusted and corrupt-free leaders.

The students, who received the sensitization, were grateful to SWIDA-Gh for drawing their attention to some of the practices deemed corrupt and for the ways which they could contribute in the fight against corruption.

The exercise, as part of the 2022 celebration of the Anti-Corruption Day, 2022, was supported by the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC).

SWIDA-Gh ED Joins UN Officers to discuss the Environment

Executive Director for SWIDA-Ghana, Hajia Alimah Sagito-Saeed joined a number of Senior Officers from the United Nations field office in Tamale, as discussions were regarding environmental practices, toxic waste and their effects on human rights.

The all-important discussions on how the environment can be sustained, was also joined in, by  Directors from other organisations operating in the Northern Region.

This meeting was at the instance of the World Food Programme at the UN office in Tamale.

The meeting was facilitated by the UN Special Rapporteur on Toxic and Human Rights, which is part of his 12 weeks visit to Ghana.

The discussions and engagement were related to the rights of citizens in the areas of safe water-quality and quantity, Good health, food security and nutrition among other basic rights.

SWIDA – Ghana Receives Special Recognition for Role in Pushing Sexual Health

The Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA – Gh), has been recognized singularly, for the efforts it has been putting into contributing to the enhancement of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and general Sexual Health Education among young people.

This recognition was extended by the Youth Advocates Ghana (YAG) and Marie Stopes Ghana, due to SWIDA – Gh’s years of work in the area of empowering the youth with information they need for growth.

The two organizations as part of commendation package, extended an invitation to SWIDA – Gh to participate in a Capacity Strengthening Workshop for SHEP Coordinators and Adolescent Health Focal Persons in the Northern & Upper East Regions of Ghana.

The project Lead on the #KASA Ending Sexual Violence initiative, which is funded by the African Women’s Development Fund, Khadijah Abdul Samed said the recognition could not have come at a better time, within the period where the #16DaysofActivism is being observed.

According to Khadijah who represented the organization at the capacity strengthening workshop, this only encourages SWIDA – Gh to do more in helping the youth to aspire for progress and to reach their full potential.

The Capacity Strengthening Workshop for SHEP Coordinators and Adolescent Health Focal Persons held in the Northern & Upper East Regions of through the Youth4Health, was organized by the Young Advocates Ghana and Marie Stopes Ghana, funded by European Commission.