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Star-Ghana Foundation partners Botnar Foundation to implement Action for Youth Development project
EUNICE AGBENYADZI ADDRESSING THE PARTICIPANTS ON THE PROJECT
Star-Ghana Foundation with funding from the Botnar Foundation has started the implementation of a three-year-project named Action for Youth Development (AfYD) in the New Juaben South Municipality (NJSMA)of the Eastern region.
The project also known as “our city project” with focus on the youth as the primary target would contribute to a municipality where young people would be informed and have the capacity to participate actively in governance and influence improved services across all sectors.
It would also strengthen the capacities of the youth-led/ based organisations, networks and coalition to mobilize, represent and engage constructively with duty bearers to sustainably address their needs and priorities in decisions and resources distribution.
The Head of Programmes at Star-Ghana Foundation, Eunice R. Agbenyadzi made this known at an inception durbar held to provide a larger platform for all relevant stakeholders particularly the youth groups, municipal authorities, traditional leaders, and other actors to deliberate and provide more inputs for the design and implementation of the project.
Ms Agbenyadzi indicated that in 2020, the district league table (DLT 2020) rated the New Juaben Municipality as one of the 10 least performing districts on governance.
“The score indicated a poor performance in the implementation of its action plan for development, and as the action plan is a critical tool for development, its poor implementation impacts on the quality of services,” she added.
For that reason, she stated that Star-Ghana Foundation with funding from Botnar came up with the project to help to whip up the interest of the citizenry, especially the youth to engage themselves in the issues of governance and to press on duty bearers to engage the citizenry in their activities.
“Overall, this project would contribute to ensuring that young people are not left behind in the development processes and benefits and would promote partnership between duty bearers and citizens to ensure that development programming is more meaningful for young people and delivers health and wellbeing, access to social services, including education, decent work for young people,” she said.
She revealed that the project was approached from an inclusion perspective and would contribute to reducing inequalities within access to social services for different categories of young people and would strengthen an enabling environment for youth inclusion and influence in governance as well as access to quality public goods and services within Koforidua.
“Through this focus, the AfYD makes a direct impact on the achievements of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1,2,3,4,5,8,10 and 16,” the Head of Programmes indicated.
For his part, the Coordinating Director of the NJSMA, Mr Edward Abazing was grateful to Star-Ghana Foundation and Botnar for the project build the capacities of the youth and whip up their interest to participate in their programmes.
He indicated that the assembly as part of its programmes deem it necessary to plan with the youth on their programmes, revealing that unfortunately most of the youth refused to show interest or attend their programmes when they were needed to share their inputs during town hall meeting among others.
He stated that the project would help greatly to bring them on board to contribute their quota in the development of the assembly.
A representative of Botnar Foundation, Zur Oren said his outfit was working in 12 counties around the world of which Ghana was part and was committed to developing young people.
He stated that the project would succeed based on collaboration and urged Star-Ghana Foundation to take the wheel and gear the project by involving all stakeholders in a manner that would benefit the people of Koforidua.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
Madam Sandra Seyram Kpedor, the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Anloga in the Volta Region, has emphasised the importance of parental involvement in children’s education, stating that education is free, but parents need to do more to support their children.
She said parents, teachers, and students must be involved in addressing the challenges facing the district’s education sector, particularly the poor Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results.
Madam Kpedor outlined some key roles parents should play to promote their children’s education, including providing a conducive learning environment, monitoring their children’s progress, and supporting teachers.
The DCE highlighted some challenges the district faced such as inadequate infrastructure and a shortage of teachers, which have also contributed to the poor BECE results and called on well-to-do parent to help solve the situation through and other supports.
To address the issues, she also announced that plans have been taken to utilise the district’s common fund to implement educational projects, such as constructing school blocks and teachers’ bungalows at Sodzi community, and 2-unit classroom blocks each at Akplorwutorkor and Tegbi-Afedome respectively, among others.
Madam Kpedor also noted that her office had earlier notified the Ministry of Education to deploy more teachers to the area to improve teaching and learning, and encouraged students to work hard and strive for excellence, and work beyond their limit to succeed.
“To my wonderful and beautiful girls, you have to know it clear that women and girls have equal opportunities to compete with men for greater achievements,” she indicated.
The DCE cited her own achievement as a testament to the fact that women can excel in leadership positions, alongside Vice President Nana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, and stressed that girls were no longer limited to domestic roles but can pursue their dreams and become leaders.
Additionally, she mentioned that a meeting was held earlier with assembly members, and other stakeholders to address the district’s educational challenges and improve academic performance.
She promised that the district’s education oversight committee and stakeholders would work together to address the challenges and improve the district’s BECE results and called for parental involvement and support to boost the district’s education sector for children to chase their dreams to become future leaders for the success of the district and the nation.
She urged parents not to leave everything to the government but rather help in the provision of some necessary materials such as textbooks, exercise books, pens, pencils, food, and guidance to children for the successes of young learners. –GNA
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The spokesperson for Dr. Bawumia, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has criticised the implementation of the NDC government’s No Fee Stress policy, arguing that the programme has failed to deliver on its core promise.
According to him on Starr fm, the policy, which was introduced to ensure stress free payment of fees for level 100 tertiary students, has rather turned into what he described as post stress support.
He explained that students are required to pay their fees first before applying for reimbursement, a situation he believes defeats the purpose of the policy.
He questioned claims by government officials that the policy has been successful and that citizens are happy.
In his view, such claims do not reflect the lived realities of many Ghanaians. He stressed that while some people may appear satisfied, many others continue to struggle.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye pointed to the situation of trained teachers and nurses who have been picketing for nearly six months, demanding employment.
He noted that government responses suggesting it cannot accommodate all of them contradict claims of economic stability.
He further argued that economic indicators such as a stable currency mean little to people who are unable to secure jobs or access promised support.
He observed that telling an unemployed teacher or a struggling student that the cedi has strengthened does not address their immediate challenges.
On the issue of tertiary education, he maintained that no level 100 student benefited from stress free fees in 2025, despite the policy being announced.
He added that in 2026, students have already reported to school without receiving the promised support.
He insisted that asking students to pay fees first and seek reimbursement later amounts to support after hardship, not stress free education.
According to him, this approach goes against what was promised during the policy announcement.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye questioned why a government that presents the economy as strong is unable to fulfil what he described as simple and clear promises.
He added that there is a fundamental problem with the way the economy is being managed and indicated that he is prepared to explain his position further.
By: Jacob Aggrey
