Friends of the Nation, a socio-economic advocacy NGO in the Western Region, has started piloting a program that seeks to rekindle the days of old where the young and old met to play, listen to folktales and to create the enabling environment for inclusive discussion on issues affecting the communities.
“We are doing this by providing some selected communities recreational materials at our community hubs”, Lead facilitator of the initiative Habba Adwoa Abaidoo told Citi News.
According to the NGO, the supply of recreational equipment which facilitates group gatherings at the local level “will offer community members the opportunity to meet, engage in recreational activities, and discuss issues of mutual concern towards community development”.
Among the items supplied to the Abuesi and New Takoradi communities in the Shama and the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolis respectively are Ludo, draughts, 6 benches, wall clocks, rechargeable lamps, plastic chairs among others totalling GHc 8,000.
Chief of Abuesi, Nana Amakye II, noted in an interview with Citi News that, “these items presented us today reminds me of the days when we were young. We had the opportunity to sit by our parents to listen to their counsel and to play. I see this gesture to rekindle those days. It is also going to make it easy to reach out to our young people as we can know where they will be when we need to mobilize them.”
Hibba Abaidoo noted that “this program, which is part of the DIFID funded western regional coastal foundation program, aims at increasing citizen’s voices in decision making and development process around oil and gas in the six coastal districts of the western region. These Community Hubs, seeks to serve as converging point for community members to meet and have constructive conversation in the development of their communities”
According to FON, if the initiative proves successful, it will be extended to other communities in the six coastal districts of the Western Region.
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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana