Building on the successes of Cohorts 1 and 2, the training aimed to empower 30 young advocates, including representatives from organizations like Eclectic Love, Lead For Ghana, Center for Achievement, and more, with the tools and knowledge necessary for effective participation in governance and advocacy.
Perfect Amegboe, the project coordinator for Young and Safe Project, opened the event with a warm welcome address, providing an overview of the Young and Safe project and highlighting initiatives like the Young and Safe Bootcamps, Young and Loud Festival, and others while emphasizing how these efforts collectively contribute to the project’s overall goal of making the Ho a youth-friendly city that safeguards the rights and well-being of youth.
In her address to the advocates, she stated, “Today’s advocacy training builds on the Node X Hackathon, which took place last year, leveraging those solutions to promote greater youth participation in city governance. You will transform the innovative strategies developed into real advocacy projects that can drive change within the Ho.”
Field Trip to Ho Municipal Assembly
To gain firsthand insights into Ho city governance, advocates took a field trip to the Ho Municipal Assembly (HMA), where they met with Mr. John Ntibrey, the Development Planning Officer. He provided a detailed explanation of the structure and function of the municipal assembly, emphasizing its role in policy implementation, funding structures, and community development.
“General Assembly meetings are open to the public, and while you may not be able to vote, your presence and contributions can influence decisions.” He urged participants to take local governance seriously, encouraging them to speak up and attend town hall meetings to make their voices heard.
This visit also helped set the stage for Courage Asase’s session on advocacy by giving the advocates a clear view of local governance, inspiring them to take part in decision-making, and showing them how important their voices are in creating change in their communities.
Understanding Advocacy with Courage Asase
Courage Asase, Project Manager of the Young and Safe project, offered valuable perspectives on the role of advocacy and how young people can effectively engage as advocates to drive real change.
He emphasized that advocacy revolves around influencing decision-makers and mobilizing communities to drive positive transformation. This can manifest in various forms, ranging from direct dialogue with policymakers to organized demonstrations that amplify collective demands for action.
During his session, Asase underscored the vital role of young people in city governance, highlighting their underrepresentation in decision-making processes. Despite comprising a significant portion of the population, most elected Assembly members do not belong to the youth demographic. This exclusion raises concerns about the lack of youth voices in key governance decisions, emphasizing the urgent need for greater youth participation in political leadership.
As discussions deepened, participants identified pressing systemic challenges affecting youth and governance, including water shortages, unemployment, inadequate street lighting, housing deficits, poor road networks, limited internet connectivity, insufficient access to electricity, ineffective waste management, and drug abuse. These challenges underscore the urgent need for advocacy-driven solutions. By strategically addressing these issues, young leaders can influence policy, raise awareness, and drive sustainable change.
Developing Targeted Advocacy Strategies and Action Plans for Young People’s Challenges
Building on Courage Asase’s insights, participants clustered into groups based on the challenges they were passionate about advocating for. Each group, guided by a facilitator, researched their issues in depth, encouraging discussion on the unique challenges faced by youth in Ho Municipality. This process was linked to the already listed problems sourced from Node X, the design thinking activity for the project.
In their groups, participants identified effective advocacy strategies tailored to their chosen issues. They developed actionable plans aimed at mobilizing support and driving change. By leveraging various advocacy techniques, such as community outreach, social media campaigns, and direct engagement with policymakers, participants crafted effective strategies to amplify their voices and highlight pressing concerns.
Call to Action
As we reflect on the transformative experiences of the 30 empowered youth from the Youth Leadership and Advocacy Training Cohort 3, it is essential to recognize that the journey does not end here. Now more than ever, we need your voices to amplify the issues impacting young people in Ho Municipality.
Take action by attending local governance meetings, engaging with your community, and advocating for pressing issues that affect youth.
About the Young and Safe Project:
The Young and Safe project is a three-year initiative that aims to address key issues such as youth participation in city governance, sexual and reproductive health, mental health support, creative self-expression, and digital employment opportunities. The project is a collaboration between Node Eight, Ho Municipal Assembly, LoveAid Foundation, and Ghana Education Service and is supported by Fondation Botnar through the Healthy Cities for Adolescents Program (HCA-||), managed by Ecorys UK. The initiative aims to develop an inclusive and supportive community for young people in Ho, Volta region, Ghana, by leveraging the capabilities of each partner. The Young and Safe project will also increase young people’s employability by helping them build their digital innovation and entrepreneurship competencies. Read more.
