Rural Initiatives for Self Empowerment (RISE-Ghana) as part of its ‘Heard Everywhere And Represented Daily’ (HEARD) project, has engaged Civil society organizations (CSOs) and various Youth Groups in the Upper East Region as it targets to promote youth participation in the decision making process in Ghana.
The aim of the HEARD project is to promote the voice, participation and inclusion of rural vulnerable youth and women in Ghana’s governance processes.
Funded by Northern Sector Action On Awareness Center (NORSAAC) and implemented in partnership with Songtaba, National Youth Authority, and other like-minded NGOs, the project seeks to revolutionize the narrative of inclusion, targeting the Bolgatanga Municipality and Kassena Nankana West District, where marginalized groups have historically been excluded from decision-making processes.
Engaging CSOs in its recent activity held in the regional capital, Bolgatanga, Rise-Ghana sought to deliberate on the way forward for them to bridge the gaps in their representations in the District Assembly structure.
Speaking to the media, the Programs Manager of Rise-Ghana, Jaw Haratu Amadu identified some gaps within the District Assembly structure in relation to youth participation, of which the project seeks to bridge.
She said, “The District Assemblies in the Upper East Region have a limited number of youth and women representations, both elected and appointed”
She stated that, some of the youth groups do not know some of the agencies within the region and the opportunities that exist for them, hence the HEARD engagement.
Some participants expressed high hopes for the program, anticipating that it will empower young individuals and eliminate fears of intimidation that often hold them back.
They said, the program will help to create a safe and supportive environment where youth can confidently express themselves and participate in decision-making processes.
