ActionAid Ghana has marked its 35th anniversary with a ceremony in Tamale that also coincided with International Youth Day, celebrating more than three decades of advancing gender equality, social justice, and youth empowerment.
Speaking at the event on Friday in Tamale, the Northern Regional Programme Manager of ActionAid Ghana, Ms Beatrice Yanman, said since its establishment in May 1990, ActionAid Ghana had focused on addressing the basic needs and rights of the poor, with a strong emphasis on human rights, women’s rights, land rights, and the right to education.
She said, it was part of a global federation committed to building a fairer world for all, where distribution of 650 bicycles to schoolchildren, the restoration and restocking of libraries, the provision of 1,500 textbooks, and the construction of more than 58 community childcare centres and kindergartens to support early childhood education in rural areas.
“In the area of water and sanitation, ActionAid Ghana has provided 62 hand-dug wells and supplied polytanks to schools. To enhance food security and climate resilience, it has constructed about 20 grain banks and rehabilitated several dams,” she added
Ms Yanman also noted the organisation’s role in closing down two witches’ camps in the Northern Region. Following the murder of Madam Akua Denteh in July 2020, ActionAid intensified its campaign against witchcraft accusations, contributing to the passage of a law criminalising the practice.
Over the years, the organisation has worked closely with youth groups and partners, including Songtaba, Activista, the Young Urban Women Movement, and Norsaac to strengthen civic space and ensure youth voices influence public policy and governance.
“Our mission remains the same to create a fairer world for all,” she said, calling for stronger collaboration among government agencies, civil society organisations, and development partners to continue improving the lives of the most vulnerable.
Alhaji Alhassan Mohammed Awal, Executive Director of Norsaac, commended ActionAid Ghana’s impact, saying “They have done a lot in advancing the sexual rights of children, especially through the Young Female Platform project,” noting their long-standing partnership since 1998.
Hajia Lamnatu Adam, Executive Director of Songtaba, pledged continued collaboration, adding “We will continue to work with ActionAid Ghana to ensure that marginalised groups live a life of dignity.”
FROM GEOFFREY BUTA, TAMALE