CorpsAfrica/Ghana engages social partners to deepen community development
CorpsAfrica/Ghana has engaged some social partners to explore ways through which they can collaborate to accelerate community development.
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The collaboration is also aimed at how to end poverty, especially in the rural areas of the country.
At a meeting which was attended by over 20 organizations, Director at CorpsAfrica/Ghana, Mr Moses Cofie, said CorpsAfrica wanted to team up with other social and development partners because no single individual or organisation can successfully develop the country.
Some of the organisations that attended the meeting included Mastercard Foundation – funding sponsor of CorpsAfrica, and some Non-Governmental and Civil Society Organisations such as Peace Corps, Future of Africa, and Compassion International.
“We’ are connecting with other like-minded development partners to increase social and economic impact in communities and make in-roads to restore dignity to the Ghanaian people,” Mr Cofie stated.
He explained that CorpsAfrica served as a catalyst for community development through its volunteers “to present a perfect ecosystem to channel funds for true sustainable social and economic advancement.”
He noted that 30 per cent of cash and materials for identified projects were provided by community members, while the remaining 70 per cent is provided by CorpsAfrica.
“This makes community members mobilise and utilise resources at their disposal and with funds and skill from CorpsAfrica, together with the skills acquired, engender societal development,” he said.
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Beyond the development projects, the Director said CorpsAfrica train community members in soft skills, including soap production, reusable sanitary wears, and environmental protection measures, such as waste segregation.
On impact of the organisation, he indicated that Mastercard Foundation had announced a five-year $59.4 million partnership to fight poverty due to the progress made by its volunteers in some six African countries.
The funding support is to develop the leadership skills of 1,600 young Africans to engage in community-led projects that impact public health, food security, education, gender issues, the digital economy, and environment.
It is expected that the work of the volunteers would benefit over 800,000 community members through economic development, while creating work opportunities for young people across the continent.
Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, Malawi, Rwanda, and Kenya are already benefiting from CorpsAfrica projects, with Nigeria, Uganda, and Ethiopia expected to be beneficiary this year, while, two other countries would benefit in 2024.
Participants at the meeting lauded CorpsAfrica’s community-based approach in solving societal problems, and called for its integration into the National Service Scheme to help reduce the social and economic challenges faced in rural communities.