By Kodjo Adams, GNA
Accra, Oct. 19, GNA – The World University Service of Canada (WUSC), an NGO through its ACTIVATE Project, has supported selected refugee communities in Ghana with borehole facilities and learning materials and equipment for early childhood education.
The support is expected to promote sustainable livelihoods, improve access to education, and strengthen community-level interventions in the Bono East and Upper West regions, among other targeted areas.
The ACTIVATE Project is a five-year initiative (2024-2028) implemented by WUSC, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation in Ghana, to transform the agriculture TVET system.
Mr Joseph Apeeliga, Director of the ACTIVATE Project, said this in Accra during a presentation of learning materials to the Ghana Refugee Board and the UNHCR for onward distribution to refugee communities in the country.
He said discussions were ongoing with the Mastercard Foundation on the possibility of expanding the programme’s reach to more beneficiaries and communities.
He said the Project committed an initial GH¢500,000 to support livelihood interventions and community development initiatives in parts of northern Ghana.
He said the strategy was intended to build local capacity and ensure that the education centres continued to operate even after the project’s direct support ended.
Mr Apeeliga emphasised the need for development organisations to collaborate with the Ghana Refugee Board and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to sustain the interventions and expand support for refugee communities.
Mr Apeeliga said refugees would continue to arrive in the country, making it important for stakeholders to develop sustainable interventions that would enable them to live comfortably and integrate into their host communities.
He said the focus should be on ensuring that the interventions provided lasting benefits to refugees while strengthening their ability to live productive lives within their host communities.
Mr Apeeliga project was adopting a market systems approach that encouraged local stakeholders and communities to take responsibility for sustaining the interventions beyond the project period.
He said the approach required the relevant institutions and communities to establish structures to ensure the effective maintenance and repair of boreholes provided under the project.
Nana Asare Bediako, the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Refugee Board, speaking on behalf of the Minister for the Interior, extended his appreciation to WUSC and its commitment to improving the welfare of refugees, especially children.
He emphasised that, “supporting refugee children goes beyond meeting their immediate needs – It is also about equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities they need to become independent and productive members of society.”
“Every child deserves the opportunity to grow up with dignity, acquire an education, and develop the capacity to take care of themselves rather than remain dependent on others.
“The assistance represents more than material support. It offers relief to vulnerable families, eases the burden on caregivers, and gives refugee children a greater opportunity to thrive despite the difficulties they face,” he said.
Mr Tetteh Padi, Country Lead, UNHCR Ghana, said the initiative aligned with UNHCR’s long-term vision of helping refugees become self-reliant.
He said the intervention was an important step towards improving the living conditions of refugees while strengthening social cohesion between them and their host communities.
“It is an excellent opportunity to extend assistance to refugees. Let me add that it is not just refugees but refugees and host communities, which is very important for social cohesion,” he said.
He noted that empowering refugees through education, skills training and livelihood opportunities was consistent with UNHCR’s vision of reducing refugees’ dependence on humanitarian aid.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei
Reporter: Kodjo Adams
Email: [email protected]