ABIBIMMAN FOUNDATION
GREEN-LIFE CLUBS
(Sustainable Livelihoods, Peace & Development)
The Chief Executive Officer
P. O. Box BT 1, Tema, Ghana - W/A
Tel/ Fax: 233-22-213918, Mob: 233 – 243 922683
Email: abibifound@yahoo.com, abibimmanf@yahoo.com, abibimmanfoundation@gmail.com
Location: Flat # 1/A 74 (adjacent TDC), Site 3, Community 1, Tema
(Promoting the Growth & Poverty Strategy and the Millennium Development Goals among Young People and Youth)
(Promoting the Growth & Poverty Strategy and the Millennium Development Goals among Young People and Youth)
BACKGROUND
The United Nations at their Millennium Summit endorsed the eight (8) Millennium Development Goals with specific commitments and targets to be achieved by the end of 2015.
Ghana’s Progress towards the MDGs
Ghana’s strategy for achieving the MDG’s is embedded in its long term programme the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS). Country assessments put Ghana’s steady but not transformational progression at the top of the rankings in Africa, to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and reach middle-income status by 2015. Achieving a transformational change consistent with Ghana’s aspiration to be a middle-income country will depend on consistently improved service delivery across the public sector and outreach to non-state actors through public-private partnerships.
The National Development Strategy – GPRS I & II
Ghana’s first national Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS I) was finalised in 2002 with the aim of generating growth, controlling inflation and increasing expenditure on programmes targeting the poorest and most vulnerable in society. While much of the government’s macroeconomic agenda was achieved during the GPRS I period (2003-2005), reviews noted little room in the GPRS for addressing high-growth issues, as well as weak attention to gender equality, inclusion and social protection.
A second generation of GPRS was produced by government in the late 2005, with an ambitious overarching goal of raising average per capita income levels to middle income levels by 2015, i.e., from about US$ 400 to about US$ 1,000. The GPRS II (2006-2009) is an agriculture-led strategy which seeks to diversify the economy's structure from traditional cocoa to cereals and other cash crops for export markets. Other sectors considered to have long-term potential include: tourism, information and communication technologies, light industry based on textiles and garments, and value-added to minerals. The GPRS II emphasizes policies to promote equitable growth that will be sustainable over the medium to long term.
GPRS II presents its strategies and actions according to three thematic pillars:
• Private Sector Competitiveness
• Human Resource Development;
• Governance and Civic Responsibility.
GHANA’S POVERTY PROFILE AND CORRELATES OF POVERTY
Ghana’s detailed poverty profile and consumption-based poverty measures obtained with the GLSS of the Ghana Statistical Services (2007) show various characteristics, such as the gender of the household head and other demographic characteristics, as well as the education, employment, migration and land ownership of the head.
• Geographic location: the headcount in rural areas (39.2 percent in 2005/06) exceeds that of urban areas (10.8 percent), with poverty reduced substantially throughout the country since 12991/92.
• Demographic Characteristics (age, sex, marital status, and household size): a clear tendency of poverty increase with the age of the household head and household size, with larger households being much more likely to be poor than smaller ones. However, the likelihood of being poor in urban areas does not vary much between male-headed households and female-headed households. In rural areas, poverty affects more households whose head is male. Individuals who have never been married (and tend to be younger, better educated, and with a smaller number of children if they have any) are less likely to be poor, as are those who are separated or divorced.
• Education Level of the Head and the Spouse: the probability of being poor decreases with the education level of the household head, from primary, to secondary, and college / post-graduate studies. Households’ poverty also decreases with the education level of the spouse.
• Industrial Classification of the Head: Poverty measures are provided according to the industrial sector of activity of the household head. The highest being poor is among heads working in agriculture, followed by manufacturing and construction, whichever year is considered (1992, 1999 or 2005).
• Employment Status of the Head: Then lowest rates of poverty are observed among public sector workers (8% at the national level in 2005/06), followed by wage earners in the private formal sector (10%), the self-employed in non-agricultural activities (14%), the wage earners in the private informal sector (16%), the households with non-working heads (32%), and finally the self-employed in agriculture.
• Migration and Land Ownership: In 2005/06, the poverty headcount index has slightly lower among household who have migrated than among those that did not migrate since birth, which represents a reversal of the situation of the early 1990s. Also, land ownership is associated with a lower probability of being poor, as expected.
RELEVANCE OF THE PROGRAMME : YOUNG PEOPLE AND YOUTH AND, GPRS II AND MDG’S
Young people and youth have key roles to play in the global campaign to achieve the MDGs which offers them the greatest opportunity for their needs to be met in a well fashioned, systematic and sustainable manner. Although there is a positive correlation between the achievements of the GPRS and MDG’s, and the development of young people and youth, they have not yet been fully integrated into the processes tailored at achieving the GPRS and MDG’s. The full participation and empowerment of young people and youth especially at the national and grassroots levels although may be seen as quite meager, is indispensable in sustaining the gains made in achieving the targets. Through education and consciousness, young people and youth could strengthen relationships between individuals, civil society, NGOs and governments, leading to an integrated approach to achieving the GPRS and MDGs. When youth are integrated into the design, implementation, monitoring and assessment of national processes, it does not only empower them as individuals, but also enhances the collective coherence of young people and youth as a group working together for the betterment of all.
ABIBIMMAN FOUNDATION’S INTERVENTION
Abibimman Foundation has over the past seven years been involved in the development of young people and youth through their active involvement in issues of national and international development concerns through its Thematic Programme Areas. These issues include HIV/AIDS, Trade, Higher Education Promotion, Environmental and Sanitation, Peaceful Coexistence, Reproductive Health and General Heath Promotion, amongst others. These Thematic Programme Areas seek to support, especially in Ghana, the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) by the deadline of 2015, especially with and through young people and youth. The Foundation has therefore created the needed platforms and avenues for young people and youth to contribute to the discussions, actions and advocacy on the MDGs.
The Government of Ghana seeks to achieve the MDGs through its medium term programme, the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS). The Government has successfully completed and evaluated the GPRS I (2003-2005), and has began the implementation of GPRS II (2006-2009). The GPRS II has three cardinal pillars; Private Sector Competitiveness, Human Resource Development; Governance and Civic Responsibility. Almost two years into the implementation of the GPRS II, the necessary linkages between its three pillars and eight Millennium Development Goals have been problematic especially for young people and youth, and are therefore not very clear about their roles and responsibilities in their achievement.
Abibimman Foundation therefore through its programme, the ‘NKABOM’ JOURNEY FOR DEVELOPMENT, seek to create the needed linkages between the GPRS and MDGs, demonstrate the roles and responsibilities, and provide the needed avenues and opportunities for young people and youth to contribute meaningfully towards their achievement. The programme as its name implies will provide systematic and young people and youth friendly programmes, events and activities that best provide the focus and meaning of the GPRS and MDGs to both young people and youth, and adults alike. ‘NKABOM’ is an Akan word meaning ‘pulling together’, and both the GPRS and MDGs provide processes that allow group of people or nations to journey into their development. ‘NKABOM’ JOURNEY FOR DEVELOPMENT therefore seek to enhance the collective ownership of the GPRS and MDGs processes through the active involvement of young people and youth, who will then serve as facilitators in involving other immediate persons of influence such as parents and elderly siblings.
PROGRAMME’S THEMATIC AREAS
1. Frontline (Education, Career Development, Trade Issues)
2. Choice, Not Chance (General Health Education and Promotion)
3. Why HIV/AIDS?, Why Me? - (HIV/AIDS and Related Issues)
4. Our Environment, Our Development (Environment, Land and Development issues )
5. A Smile on All Faces (Cohesiveness, Peaceful Coexistence, Good Governance Promotion)
6. Without Substance Abuse (Preventing and Managing Drug and Substance Abuse and Effects)
7. Handle Life With Care (Counselling and Motivation on General Life Issues)
8. Before Disaster Strikes (Disaster Prevention and Management Issues)
GOAL
The programme seeks to create a platform to facilitate the urgently needed dialogue amongst young people and the key players in the GPRS and MDG’s processes - government, private sector, community groups, and civil society coalitions, to assess achievements and the way forward. Ensure effective young people and youth participation, engagement and ownership in the campaign to achieve the GPRS and MDGs. It also seeks to explore impact of fair trade the implementation and positive achievements of the GPRS and MDG’s, and change consumption pattern in favour of locally produced goods and services amongst other way forwards.
OBJECTIVES
The project seeks to achieve the following objectives:
a. To enhance young people and youth curiosity, understanding, participation and monitoring the processes of the GPRS and MDG’s and their impact on them;
b. To showcase achievements, gabs and challenges in the implementation of the GPRS and MDG’s;
c. To generate dialogue between the young people and youth and, the key player in the GPRS and MDG’s that is policy-action-oriented and enhance youth participation in emerging opportunities;
b. To review progress and ensure reinstating the role and responsibilities of young people and youth;
c. To enhance local ownership of the GPRS and MDG’s process especially amongst the young people and youth to enhance patronage and consumption patterns that favours the local productive capacity;
d. To sound a wake-up call to governments and International Development Agencies to influence their stronger adherence to favourable policy positions towards the achievements of the GPRS and MDG’s
DIAGRAMMATIC PRESENTATION OF THE LINKAGES BETWEEN THE PROGRAMME THEMATIC AREAS, GPRS AND THE MDGs
PROGRAMME AGENDA
• The GPRS and MDGs and their relevance to young people and youth, and national development
• An understanding of the work of national and international institutions, department, agencies and ministries in the GPRS and MDGs
• Overview of national processes aimed at achieving the GPRS and MDG’s
• The roles and responsibilities of young people and youth in achieving the GPRS and MDG’s
• Strategies for effective young people and youth engagement
• Developing partnerships for promoting young people and youth participation
PRINCIPAL INSTRUMENTS
1. Policy-oriented research
2. Facilitation of dialogues and networking
3. Knowledge-and information sharing; seminars, fora, workshops exhibitions / fair, news paper publication
4. Campaigns, lobby and advocacy
5. Partnership development
6. Institutional support and services
7. Advisory services
PARTICIPATION
• Young People and Youth in and out of school
• Ministries, Departments and Agencies of State
• UN Agencies
• International Development Partners
• Private Sector
• Civil Society
• General public
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY
The programme with the implementation period of five (5) years will be implemented in three (3) pilot phases, with each phase divided into segments. The programme will have a total of ten (10) six-month segments. Detail planning and budget for phase I will be used as baseline for projecting those of phases II and III.
• PHASE I
Phase I will cover a period of twelve (12) months with two (2) six-month segments and will be executed within the Tema Municipality.
In Segment I, eight (8) schools, made up of two (2) Senior High Schools and six (6) Junior High Schools (two (2) Private Schools) will be selected for the programme. Each school will be assigned one of the Millennium Development Goals to work on, with the Senior High Schools assigned Goals One (1) and Eight (8), and linking with the Junior High Schools. Each School’s project’s events and actions will best draw inferences on the impact three pillars of the GPRS II (Private Sector Competitiveness, Human Resource Development; Governance and Civic Responsibility) on the achievement of that goal and possible impact on the development of young people and youth. Each school will be networked with key and relevant state and non-state stakeholder institutions and organisations, especially the private sector, whose work touches on the achievement of a goal for effective collaboration and partnership to enhance community ownership. Platforms will be created for each school around key moment of the gaol working on. A Weekly newspaper for young people and youth, ‘The Youth Agenda’ of the programme will offer each school at least a page to publish issues around each of the goals.
In Segment II, four (4) additional schools will be added unto each of the goals, bringing a total of five (5) schools per goal and a total of forty (40) schools in the Municipality.r of institutional challenges during the implementation period.
1. The Foundation needs to develop and improve its capacity to respond to the ever more sophisticated demand from partners and clients.
2. The Foundation needs to increase in quality and quantity its logistical needs to meet the demands of each segment and phase of the programme.
3. The Foundation needs to make better use of the expertise available in both state and non-state institutions and organisations in furtherance of the programme.
4. The Foundation needs to continue to diversify its funding sources
5. The Foundation needs to review its institutional structure to meet the demands of the programme at each phase.
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