By Rosemary Wayo
Tamale, July 08, GNA – A total of 15 youth networks in four regions in the North have received a sum of GH¢872,000 in grants to undertake community projects towards effecting attitudinal change to reduce harmful practices.
The grant is to assist the youth networks in carrying out various activities in the regions geared at minimising teenage pregnancy, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) as well as other inhumane practices.
The beneficiaries are Activista Ghana, Afriyan Ghana, Martha Inspires Foundation, Northern Regional office of National Youth Authority drawn from the Northern, North East, Savannah and Upper East Regions.
It is the second phase under the Youth Initiative Small Grants (YISG) project.
YISG is an initiative of the Power to You (PtY) Ghana project aimed at providing financial and technical support to widen youth influence in PtY project areas in the country.
The PtY Ghana is being undertaken by a consortium of organisations, which includes NORSAAC, Songtaba and Gh Alliance, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
Mr Alhassan Mohammed Awal, Executive Director of Norsaac, who is also Chairman of the Country Management Team of PtY, speaking at a ceremony in Tamale to award the grants to the youth networks, said YISG stemmed from the commitment to nurture boundless potentials within the younger generation.
Mr Awal said projects of the first batch of grantees reached over 5,000 adolescents and meaningfully engaged over 480 young people across various platforms.
He said “There are countless minds brimming with untapped potentials, waiting for an opportunity like this to make a difference. It is our duty as a consortium to provide them with platforms and resources they need to thrive.”
He entreated grantees to exude diligence in carrying out their projects and be consistent with accounts to enhance transparency.
Madam Matilda Ayamga, National Programme Coordinator of PtY said the initiative was to empower the youth to transform social norms and practices that had negative impact on young people.
She said the number of grantees was scaled up to 15 from 10 last year to increase the number of the youth in the intervention space given successes in the first phase.
She added that the initiative was an effective strategy that had empowered over 40 per cent of the youth in addition to others empowered by the PtY programme in the country.
The grantees, after an orientation, expressed gratitude to YISG for the empowerment, and pledged to deliver as expected of them.
GNA