Ten (10) Youth-led Community Based groupings in Northern Ghana have undergone a two-day capacity strengthening in Financial Management practices in Tamale, the Northern Regional capital.
Under the tag; Youth Initiative Small Grants (YISG) spearheaded by NORSAAC a rights and advocacy focused NGO, the training was to enhance the capacities of the YISG grantees that had earlier, received grants ranging between 15,000 to 30,000 Ghana cedis for community causes and actions within their respective locations.
The trainees numbering over 40, were taken through basic financial management, monitoring and evaluation processes and communication among others. The objective according to Norsaac, seeks to ensure judicious use the funds, establish right systems for accountability and strengthening beneficiaries’ institutional capacities.
YISG – is a component of a Power to Youth Programme, a five year youth driven advocacy running across seven countries namely – Kenya, Senegal, Indonesia, Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi and Ghana, and is principled on youth leadership, youth participation, engagement and partnership.
Youth Empowerment Manager at Norsaac, Madam Jibrila Rumanatu, in an interview with Diamond News, explained that under the YISG, young people are being inspired to turn their innovative ideas into tangible realities that bring positive changes to their communities.
According to her, YISG, offers small grant to youth-led community groups to undertake advocacy activities around three key areas; Harmful Practices, Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and Unintended Pregnancies. Primarily women, girls and the persons with disability are the key targets for reach out.
“Norsaac has undertaken periodic monitoring to access how the YISG grantees have rolled out their ideas and given them support, where necessary. During these two days; the purpose is to share learning, reflect on the journey so far and how to adopt best practices, but equally important is to help document successes and harvest their outcome,” Madam Jibrila added.
Already, the grantees forming the second cohort of YISG have been exposed to Grants and request processes, Branding and Communications as well as synergy building.
Beneficiaries of the grants who received the two day training in financial management include community based organizations such as Martha Inspired operating in the Upper East, Activista Ghana, Rural Connect and Laamguum, a youth group based in the Yunyoo District in the North East Region.
Story By: Nelson Adanuti Nelson |www.diamondfmonline.com |Ghana.
