By Jones Anlimah
Plan International Ghana has committed about GH₵4 million towards youth-related activities and initiatives aimed at youth development and the well-being of young people across the country. This investment spans various sectors of youth development, reflecting the organisation’s comprehensive approach to supporting young Ghanaians.
The Country Director of Plan International Ghana, Mr. Constant Tchona, disclosed this during an exhibition to showcase the impactful works of over 30 youth-led organisations in the Volta and Oti regions at Ho, in the Volta region.
The exhibition featured thirty-two youth-led organisations showcasing their initiatives across various sectors, including climate change, child rights, local governance, health, sanitation, women’s rights, education, and agriculture.
The theme for the exhibition was “Youth empowerment, a necessary tool for development” and provided a platform for participating youth groups to share knowledge and enhance the impact of their interventions through networking.
The Volta Regional Director of the National Youth Authority, Mr. Yao Semordey, commended Plan International Ghana for its investment in youth development and expressed support for the initiative. According to him, the initiative by Plan International Ghana aligns with the mission of the Authority, which is to provide young people with the resources and opportunities they need to succeed and enable them to make meaningful contributions to the country’s growth.
“As an Authority charged with the responsibility of seeing the youth of this country through their dreams, we join hands with organisations like Plan International Ghana to make sure such dreams are realised,” Mr Semordey said.
The Southern Programme Influencing and Impact Area Manager of Plan International Ghana, Mr. Sulemana Gbana, said plan international Ghana’s investment in the Volta region is a pivotal step towards helping address multifaceted challenges faced by youth in the region and underscores their commitment to empowering young people which is crucial for the socio-economic development of communities.
The country director of Plan International Ghana, Mr Constant Tchona, while outlining some ongoing investment drives in the youth, said such investments are expected to drive positive changes and create more opportunities for young people across the country.
“A total of GHC359,999 has been awarded to five youth-led groups across Plan International Ghana’s Southern Programme Impact and Influencing Area (SPIIA) and Northern Programme Impact and Influencing Area (NPIIA). Our Plan International Canada office has also provided (GHC901,000) in flexible funding to ten additional youth-led groups and the Alumni Network of Plan International Ghana,” he said.
Mr Tchona expressed satisfaction with the ingenuity and passion displayed by participating groups and hoped that their projects, initiatives, and ideas exhibited would not just be mere displays but would be the embodiment of hope and the building blocks of a brighter future.
“It is not only things for them, it is things with them because they have the creativity and energy to do this. it does require empowerment. Empowerment meaning that we need to make sure that we are working with them so they grow more confident to take on a number of initiatives and be empowered to effect changes,” Mr Tchona added.
Some participants who spoke to GBCNEWS called for more opportunities to be given to the youth to display their potential towards nation-building.
