REPORT ON NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM LAUNCH HELD ON SATURDAY 6^TH APRIL, 2019 AT ALIU MAHAMA SPORTS STADIUM, TAMALE

1.0       INTRODUCTION

Rescue Volunteers organized a program at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale to launch Rescue’s Northern Development Program.  The theme for the program was “introducing lean season farming”.   The program also mentioned other major activities planned for the Northern Zone to be undertaken in collaboration with other NGOs, Youth groups, Traditional Authorities, MMDAs and MDAs.  The activities include Agricultural Development, Entrepreneurship, Health Services and Self Development.

The program was attended by representatives from NGOs, Youth groups, Traditional Authorities, MMDAs and MDAs. In attendance were also Farmers, Agricultural Officers, Traders, Teachers, Weavers, Beauticians, Tailors and Dressmakers.

2.0       BACKGROUND

The Northern Zone of Ghana has one major farming season and a lot of peasant farmers.  Farming being the main vocation in the Region employ a lot of households.  Rescue Volunteer’s works in the Northern Zone of Ghana require research in ways to improve the life of needy settlers in the Region.  Findings revealed challenges including large numbers of unemployed youth ready to migrate to cities in search of work.  Women and girls had to struggle hard to feed themselves and their children.  Reason leading to the situation was largely caused by the single farming season that leaves the able bodied idle for a longer period in the year.  The little earning made from the major season farming is used up by the next farming season making it challenging for a lot of households to farm commercially.

Rescue Volunteers proposed year round farming which demand farming within the lean season as well as the major season. This was modeled in Walewale and Larabanga in the North East and Savanna Region respectively.  Other communities in the Northern Zone expressed interest in the program.  In effect, NGOs with expertise in lean season farming and MDAs with mandate in Agricultural Development, were contacted to assist the proposed 2019 pilot program with the theme to introduce lean season farming in the five regions of the Northern part of Ghana.  Response was positive hence, the launch of the Northern Development Program.

3.0       THE PROGRAM LAUNCH

3.1       Opening

The launch was held in the morning of Saturday 6^th April 2019 at 11:05 a.m. and was chaired by Mr. Iddi Zakaria, National Coordinator of Shea Network Ghana.  Mr. Zakaria told all present to take the Northern Development Program seriously.  He cautioned the traditional leaders about NGOs inability to undertake development programs without the active participation of the community members.  He used the opportunity to urge all present to assist in all ways possible towards the success of the program.

3.2       Presentation of 2019 Pilot Program

Rescue Volunteers presented a pilot program for 2019.  The program highlighted four main areas of concern: Agriculture development, Entrepreneurship, Health services and Self development.

With the Agricultural Development, the house was informed about measures being taken to introduce all year round crop farming.  The main season we were informed, will concentrate on maize and ground nut on a twenty (20) acre land at Larabanga and another ten (10) acres in Tatale.  The lean season will target crops like okra and sweet pepper in communities in Damango district, Tatale and some communities in Walewale.  Tree planting was also mentioned as vital part of the model program.  This will target commercial trees like Shea and Cashew also in the above mentioned project areas.

Entrepreneurship was explained under the pilot program as training the youth especially victims of child marriage to acquire vocational skills to fend for themselves and their children.  Under the program it was explained that beneficiaries so assisted will have to pay back all expenses in the form of ‘susu’ upon setting up their individual centres to ensure program sustainability. Vocations like hairdressing, tailoring, catering, food processing and soap making were mentioned as some of the vocational activities covered under the pilot program.  Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana was named as one of the main NGOs to assist in the training of trainers for the vocational centres.

Under Health Services, Rescue Volunteers made known that the pilot program will consider water sanitation and medical supplies to some selected community health posts in the project area.  Free health screening was also referred to as a critical area to look at under the program.

Self development centered on non-formal education and community libraries while beneficiaries will be thought Basic English vocabularies in the trade area they choose or are already in. Campaign against child marriage will also run alongside the self development program in the form of TV commercials and series, documentaries and advocacy in schools and community meetings.

A Gant Chart for the 2019 Pilot program is attached as Appendix 1 of this report.

3.3       Rescue Documentary and NGO Presentations

A documentary on Rescue Volunteers activities and achievement of beneficiaries was shown and collaborating NGOs for the Northern Development Program present at the launch took turns to give a profile of their respective organizations.

In all, there were four (4) NGOs and Five Youth Organisations present who were optimistic about the 2019 Pilot plan.  All four NGOs: Youth Alive Ghana, Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana, Save Ghana and Tim Africa Foundation expressed the joy of being invited to the launch and pledged their support in the diverse areas already agreed upon for the success of the program.

In this vain, merger with Rescue Volunteers comes as a common goal to knock at the right door since successive Governments have common programs to alleviate poverty in the Northern zone of Ghana.

The organized youth groups also pledged their support for the program.  Accounting from organizing the launch, and their active participation, Rescue Volunteers merger with the Youth Groups in the northern zone looks promising.

3.4       The Launch

The Chairman gave a concluding remark on the activities that were mentioned to be undertaken in the Pilot program and encouraged all present to support the program to achieve success.  Mr. Iddi Zakaria then declared the program duly launched.

4.0       CONCLUSION

To conclude the program, Rescue Volunteers used the opportunity to thank all present for their time and contributions to deliberations on the Pilot program.  Participants completed pledge forms provided by Rescue Volunteers stating areas and type of support they will provide.

RECOMMENDATIONS

It was recommended that Rescue and the NGO partners should work in collaboration with the MMDAs to make sure that the programs do not suffer any political influence.

The Community leaders and Youth groups were advised to work hand in hand with Rescue to sustain the program

Beneficiaries under the major farming program that was stated to run with the ‘planting for food and jobs’ initiative of Government were advised to be registered with the Assemblies in their community to be budgeted for inputs since the program plans to bring inputs to the door steps of farmers this 2019.

All partners were advised to observe critically the pilot program and endeavour to attend the Project Review program scheduled for November 2019 and contribute towards Rescue Volunteers medium term plan.

PHOTOS