Bolgatanga, May 13, GNA – Forsports Foundation, a sport for development non-governmental organisation has scale-up measures to help unearth and nurture talents of particularly marginalised young people in the Northern Regions of Ghana.
Currently, the Sunyani-based NGO which operates in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions, said it was determined to create opportunities by helping young people in the North to identify and build on their hidden talents in sports to further their growth and development.
This would also promote their proper upbringing, development, and position them well to become national assets and contribute significantly to nation-building.
The Foundation implements its projects and programmes with support from Shoes4Life in the Czech Republic, Kits for the World in the Netherlands, Macron-Italy, Umbro-UK, Lord Taverners-UK and Mailbutler-Germany.
Mr. Christopher Forsythe, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Forsports Foundation, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, said “we have extended our operations to the northern regions of Ghana to use sports to contribute our quota towards the achievement of the SDGs”.
“The opening of the Bolgatanga office marks the beginning of life-changing moments for the youth and their communities in the northern part of Ghana”, he indicated and added that “children are at the heart of the NGO’s strategic development projects and programmes and we are determined to promote their holistic development”.
Mr. Forsythe explained the Foundation which had been working for the past six years, used sports in promoting life skills and economic empowerment, gender equality and social inclusion, participation in sports and education, providing safe spaces, health, and well-being of individuals.
He assured continuous support to promote the education of marginalised children in society and protect them against all forms of maltreatment.
“We do this in partnership with communities, schools and Municipal and District Assemblies as well as civil society groups”, Mr. Forsythe added.
He said the Foundation had made a remarkable impact in the lives of more than 10,000 children who had been reached directly and indirectly through its various development interventions in the sectors of education, health, and livelihood, and youth development.
Mr. Forsythe assured deprived children and communities in the five northern regions, saying the presence of the Foundation would help improve child welfare, especially in the areas of education and health using sports.
“Our entry into the northern part of the country is aimed at enabling Forsports Foundation to scale-up its proven interventions and to efficiently operate in the five northern regions to make the desired lasting improvement in the lives of children”, he said.
Mr. Joseph Anyoka, an Educationist and the Upper East Regional Manager of the Forsports Foundation said the Foundation had been known for its life-changing programmes geared towards developing children in deprived communities for the past years.
He described the Foundation’s determination to use sports to complement the government’s efforts in improving the lives of the people, especially in the areas of education, health, and well-being as laudable and which required commendation.
Mr. Anyoka expressed the hope that its presence in the northern regions would facilitate the implementation and delivery of the SDGs in the rural communities.
Currently, the Foundation is working to set-up its Upper East Regional Management Team and Board of Directors. It will also recruit volunteers to spearhead the delivery of the Foundation’s programmes in the northern regions.
GNA