CIWED Ghana Organized a training workshop on Financial Literacy, Book Keeping and Numeracy Training for 26 six young boys and girls in Tamale

As part of project activities of the roll out for Community-Based Livelihood Initiative Project (CLIP) 2, CIWED Ghana organized a two-day training work shop for 26 young boys and girls to equip them with theoretical knowledge in addition to the practical skills training. The aim of the activity was to equip the young trainees of CIWED with the necessary customer lobbying skills and how to keep a simple cash book for recording of pretty expenses when they become masters and own their businesses. The training was conducted on the 18^{th and 19th} of August, 2021. This will enable them carry out their duties effectively and manage their businesses well and to contribute in addressing unemployment and poverty issues in their respective communities. The project which is supported by Tools for Self Reliance UK seeks to reduce the unemployment challenges in the Northern Region of Ghana and also contribute to empower these young people to become responsible and respected citizen in their home and communities as well. The project is to directly benefit twenty (20) young girls (77%) in hair dressing and beatification and tailoring and dressmaking and six (6) young boys (23%) in electronic welding and fabrication.

CIWED SUSTAINS ESSENTIAL SERVICE DELIVERY CAMPAIGNS FOR WOMEN, ADOLESCENTS AND CHILDREN

CIWED Ghana On the 26^th of March, 2022 carried out a radio sensitization campaign programme to educate the people of Savelugu Municipality and Nanton District as well as the entire Northern Region on the need to sustain their access to essential health services. This programme was also to galvanize support for the government to make sure that, funds are allocated to the hospitals and clinics for the provision of essential service which have been neglected at the expense of COVID 19. The project is supported by Management Sciences for Health (MSH), upon award to CIWED a COVID-19 Rapid Response and Recovery Small Grants funding to implement activities in two districts in Northern Region with the goal to contribute to advocacy and accountability for the continuation of quality, lifesaving health and nutrition services for women, children, and adolescents during and after the COVID 19 pandemic, and for improving health outcomes in these areas.

QUARTERLY RADIO DISCUSSIONS ON GENDER EQUALITY, LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE ISSUES

On the 24^th of March, 2022 CIWED Ghana sensitized the people of Savelugu Municipal and Nanton District and the entire Region of the North of Ghana on the need for empowering women and young girls. This programme carried out through radio to Galvanizing Stakeholders’ Support for the Women and Girls. The project is sponsored by Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) in partnership with CIWED Ghana on the Women Voice and Leadership programme. The goal of the radio program is to promote women’s leadership by giving them a greater voice and presence in the community with actions in their communities to increase support for the inclusion of women in decision-making bodies.

CIWED Organizes a Float to Commemorate International Women’s Day in a Unique Style

As a gender sensitive organisation, CIWED celebrated its key stakeholders; the women on the special occasion of the International Women’s Day. In celebrating the event on the 8^th of March, 2022 the organization brought together Womens from Kpano and Gbemgbem community in Nanton district to join hands in the celebration. The Chief of the traditional area expressed delight for CIWED’s choice of his area to commemorate this important international event. Congratulations to all women

CIWED Ghana hold 2-day capacity building for the leadership of the MAN to help them address the drivers of intimate partner violence in their communities

CIWED Ghana carried out a two days’ capacity building training workshop for the leadership of the MAN to help them address the drivers of intimate partner violence in their communities. The aimed of the activity is to empower the leaders of the MAN with the requisite skills to enable them address the intimate partner violence. Commenting on the issue, the Executive Director of CIWED, Mr. Baako Abdul-Fatawu tasked the leadership to be circumspect in the discharge of their duties in their various communities as there are the urgent for change that we are looking for and they should demonstrate it to the max. The programme is supported by Management Science and Health Ins. US to support coordinated civil society advocacy for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health (WCAH) in COVID-19 response and recovery and is expected to benefit 10 communities in Savelugu Municipality and 10 in Nanton District in the Northern Region of Ghana

CIWED GHANA Organized a two-day  training for Gender Network  (Ge-net) group leaders on advocacy, lobbying and negotiation skills

As part of project activities, CIWED Ghana organized a twoday trainer of trainees training workshop for 20 Ge-net group leaders made up of 100 members on advocacy, lobbying and negotiation skills. The aim of the activity was to empower the leaders of the gender network groups (Ge-net) with the needed advocacy, lobbying and other related skills to enable them carry out their duties effectively to contribute in addressing issues affecting women in their communities. The project is supported by Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) which seeks to increase the effective participation of women in decision-making roles and leadership positions and also to empower them to have access and control of resources.  The project also seeks to have visibly empowered women, girls, men and boys’ groups leading the campaign for gender transformation. The programme is expected to directly benefit approximately 2,840 and about 8,741 indirect beneficiaries in the medium to long-term, with sixty-five percent (65%) being women. In addition to the primary target beneficiaries, beneficiaries like minority ethnic groups and other gender and socially exclusive in society are also targeted in these project.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Energy, Ghana Alliance for Clean cookstoves (GHACCO) and CIWED-Ghana [who are members of ACCESS Coalition], the Strategic Youth Network for Development (SYND), a climate Change advocate is currently engaging community people in the Ashanti, Northern, Central and Greater Accra regions on clean cooking stoves.

This is to know and understand their perceptions and experiences on the use of clean cooking stoves based on the free distribution of 500,000 clean cooking stoves by government of Ghana 2 years ago.

The programme is expected to benefit approximately 1.8 million Ghanaians through a $5.5million South Korea Government funded project.

This was disclosed in a press release issued on this day, 4th February,2022 by the Executive Coordinator of Strategic Youth Network for Development (SYND), Mr. Chibeze Ezekiel in Accra.

“The outcome of this exercise is to feed into the Ministry’s evaluation processes and inform the next steps in line with attaining SDG7, Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) and the Nationally Determined Contributions (Gh-NDCs)”, it stated.

Furthermore, the release hinted that, particularly, “we will be organising a Post-COP26 Workshop on Energy later this month with relevant state and non-state actors to among others share the findings of our survey to help contribute to Ghana’s energy transition interventions.

Currently, the team are currently in Tamale engaging women on clean cooking, hence to collate their views, perceptions and thoughts on the use of the stove as well educate them on the importance of using clean cooking stove in their day to day cooking.

SYND is the West Africa Regional Node for ACCESS Coalition. The coalition is made up CSOs across the globe working to promote energy access particularly to the poor and vulnerable.

CIWED Rolls out the Women’s Voice and Leadership Ghana Project in the Nantong District and Savelugu Municipality

The Centre for Capacity Improvement for the Wellbeing of the Vulnerable (CIWED), with funding support from Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) has officially launched the Women’s Voice and Leadership Project in the Nantong District and Savelugu Municipality. The project seeks to increase the effective participation of women in decision-making roles and in leadership positions as well. It also seeks to empower women to have access to and control of resources. Inaugurating the project, the District Social Welfare Directors of Nantong Savelugu as well as the heads teachers of the selected schools welcomed the project and pledged the support of the assemblies and the Ghana education Service to the success of the project. On his part, the Executive Director of CIWED, Mr. Baako Abdul-Fatawu assured the stakeholders of his outfit’s continuous engagement and consultation throughout the project life span. He also thanked OSIWA for the confidence reposed on his organisation and assured to deliver as expected.

CIWED in partnership with Tools for Self-Reliance (TfSR), a UK based donor to provide skills training for young people in Northern Region. The programme is an intervention to ensure that the youth (18 – 24 years) especially those out of school to acquire entrepreneurship skills to become self-reliance and live dignified lives and reduce social vices in society. The unemployment rate and the lack of livelihood opportunities in the Northern Region and the country at large has contributed to a large extend of some social problems such as Rural- Urban migration (Kayaye) where young people as low as age 10 and above migrate from northern region to the southern regions of Ghana to do menial jobs such as head-potting to earn a living. Most of them return with teenage pregnancies and STIs, worsening their situations and increase their poverty level.
The fist face started in July 2019 to train 10 young girls in dressmaking and 5 young boys in welding and fabrication.  Many of these young people were selected from the streets and part of the project aim is to re-integrate them back to their homes when they are done with the trainings.
The second face which is yet to start is looking at getting 26 young boys and girls acquire skills in Tailoring and dress making, Head dressing and beautician and Electronic welding and fabrication. This will contribute in Addressing Youth Unemployment through Skills Training and Development especially young women of age brackets (12-25) to be self-reliance and economic independent.

GENDER AND SDGS STEP DOWN TRAINING FOR WOMEN AND GENDER-BASED CSOs/CBOs IN THE NORTHERN REGION

he women 2030 project being carry out in 52 countries across different regions of the world. It is led by a coalition of 5 women and gender network organisations collaborating to realize the SDGs in a gender equitable and climate just way. The project also aims at contributing to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement by advancing local and regional sustainable development while ensuring it is equitable and inclusive. As part of the activities of the first part of the implementation, Foundation for Grassroots Initiatives Africa organised capacity building training for some selected women and gender based organizations in HO.  The training was to serve as training of trainers to build the capacity of the participating individuals to carry out stepdown trainings for same NGOs/CBOs at the regional, districts and community level.
It is against this background that CIWED led the stepdown training on gender and SDGs for local NGOs and CBOs in the northern region of Ghana.  The activity was carry out on 17th November 2017 at the Regional Disability Training Centre, Tamale.