World Vision opens office at Accra Digital Centre

World Vision International (WVI) Ghana, a non-profit organisation, has opened a new office in Accra to handle all financial and procurement services of the organisation across Africa and other parts of the world.

The office, which is located in the Accra Digital Centre, is known as the Shared Services Office.

It will serve as an administrative arm of the WVI and provide a centralised financial and procurement-related process in Africa, Europe and Latin America.

The facility, manned by 85 well-trained personnel, will also allow WVI to effectively use technology to enhance transparency and lower the cost of operation to raise more resources needed to support vulnerable children in the 100 countries the organisation operates globally.

Efficiency and accountability

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony in Accra on Thursday, the Board Chairman of WVI Ghana, Mr Emmanuel Baba Mahama, said for the past 39 years, the entity had been working with very deprived communities to create solutions for development challenges in the areas of water, sanitation and hygiene; food security, health, education and child protection.

“These interventions have brought measurable improvements in the well-being of millions of children, especially the most vulnerable, their families and communities,” he said.

He said with its new strategy initiative dubbed, “Our Promise 2030”, the organisation had deepened its commitment to the most vulnerable children and focused its operations for greater impact.

“These commitments are to ensure that World Vision plays an integral part in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“To deliver effectively on these commitments, there is a dire need for World Vision to increase our collective efficiency and accountability,” he stated.

Commendation

In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister of Planning, Prof. George Gyan-Baffour, commended WVI for prioritising the needs of children, who were major targets of the SDGs, and the national coordinated programme on good health and education.

According to him, children were the greatest asset of Ghana but they could be a liability depending on the level of investment made towards their well-being.

Financial accountability

The Chief Financial Officer of WVI, Mr Stephen Lockley, commended Ghana for putting up the Accra Digital Centre.

“It is very significant and, in the context of government vision for the 21st Century Ghana, the facility is not only focused on our ministry in Ghana but it is serving World Vision across the world,” he said.

He stated that as the organisation sought to raise and use more resources to improve the well-being of children in communities , there was the need to ensure administration and financial accountability to achieve those goals.