Tamale: Plan International Ghana, a development and humanitarian organisation, is actively enhancing emergency response interventions to support refugees in northern Ghana, focusing on ensuring decent living conditions and wellbeing within the camps.
According to Ghana News Agency, the organisation is contributing to the response at the Zini and Tarikom community camps in the Upper West and Upper East Regions through various initiatives, particularly focusing on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) interventions. Eric Ayaba, Head of Programmes and Influencing for Plan International Ghana, shared this information during a capacity enhancement workshop for journalists and media practitioners in northern Ghana.
The workshop, organised by Plan International Ghana, aimed to expose participants to the organisation’s project interventions, enhancing their abilities for effective collaboration and accurate reporting. Over the three-day workshop, participants visited project communities, including Sagadugu 1 and 2, Mimima, and Guabuliga in the North East Region, to witness the projects’ impacts.
Mr. Ayaba highlighted that the organisation conducts rapid assessments to identify the challenges facing refugees and host communities. They prioritise child protection and safeguarding, as many refugees are children and adolescents. Plan International Ghana is working to improve the efforts of District Child Protection Committees and strengthen child protection mechanisms in both the communities and camps.
Additionally, the organisation collaborates with state agencies to address child protection issues and sexual and reproductive health challenges. They are also working on establishing a model adolescent SRH centre to provide access to necessary services and information.
Amadu Mahama, Education Outcome Fund (EOF) Lot 4 and 5 Manager at Plan International Ghana, presented the success of a project aimed at ensuring every child has access to basic education and training. Implemented in eleven districts across three regions in Northern Ghana, the project targets out-of-school children aged eight to 16, integrating them into mainstream education through a nine-month literacy and numeracy cycle.
The EOF Lot 4 and 5 intervention has already reached 21,316 out-of-school children in its third year, surpassing its target of 20,000 for the four-year period. The project receives funding and support from the Ministry of Education, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the World Bank, and the EOF.
Madam Esenam Ahiadorme, Gender and SRHR Specialist at Plan International Ghana, emphasized the organisation’s goal of achieving gender transformation through its projects. She urged the media to focus on gender transformation reporting, challenging traditional gender norms, stereotypes, and inequalities to promote gender equality and dismantle barriers in society.
