EMPOWERING DEPRIVED COMMUNITIES IN NORTHERN GHANA SINCE 1986

GHANA

DEVELOPING
COMMUNITIES
ASSOCIATION

ABOUT

WHO WE ARE

GDCA has been implementing projects and programmes for more than 35 years and has adapted to and developed with the various trends in development work, and at the same time expanding in terms of thematic areas in our portfolio. As an umbrella organization representing several other organisations we have contributed to bringing positive changes in various areas.

One of our success stories is how our work with the subsidiary partner School for Life has resulted in developing an inspirational methodology for complementary basic education (CBE) that has served as model for Ghana’s policy on CBE, and is being implemented by some of the major education donors in Ghana (DFID and UNICEF).

This exposure has supported the organisation’s shift in focus from service delivery to advocacy and strengthening civil society organisations.

The Danish organization Ghana Friends (GV) is our longest partnership and GDCA and GV have developed together. The cooperation has been at the core of GDCA’s activities throughout, and capacity building of the organisation has taken place in cooperation with GV.

Further, GDCA has cooperated with other international and national development partners for a number of years, and this is becoming a greater proportion of the organisation’s portfolio, bringing new inspiration, learning and challenges. It also places demands on the organisation in terms of adopting more strategic approaches to funding and strategic planning and management in order to optimize the organisation’s potential, but it is a challenge that we have welcomed as it brings our organisation and work to new levels.

VISION & MISSION

ORGANISATION

OUR TEAM

WHAT WE DO

GDCA is a NGO working with development in Northern Ghana. We implement programmes with several partners and we have 4 key strategic areas.

Furthermore, we have 5 subsidiary organisations under our umbrella. Read about them here.

Civil Society Strengthening & Participatory local governance

GDCA seeks to promote community and citizens' participation in local governance and especially the participation of marginalized groups in decision-making.

In a similar vein, GDCA works to enhance accountability of people and institutions in authority for the judicious use of resources entrusted to them.

Furthermore, GDCA builds on its experience in the promotion of peace to work with community groups, community leaders and other stakeholders in seeking and promoting peace.

Organisational development, strategic positioning & engagement

GDCA builds strong and functional systems that enhance its legitimacy and accountability towards its stakeholders at all levels, and strengthens its acceptance among CBOs, local groups and associations as their representative.

GDCA undertakes continuous, systematic and planned change in its organisational processes based on the context within which it operates to ensure relevance. GDCA adopts processes that enhance organisational learning, financial sustainability and working with partnerships and strategic alliances with relevant stakeholders to increase and sustain the organisation's impacts.

Livelihoods, Food & Water security

& Climate Change adaptation

GDCA seeks to enhance food security and livelihoods of vulnerable households and communities through building capacity for adaptation and resilience to the impacts of climate change. It includes the building of capacities of individuals and groups to improve their skills in various productive vocations and trades. GDCA also seeks to increase access to finance and the support for micro, small and medium enterprise development of women and farmer groups as well as enterprising individuals from deprived communities to enhance their productive and economic capacities.

Inclusive access to quality education & civic education

The aim is to enhance access to relevant quality basic education for children in under-served communities in Northern, Upper-East and Upper-West and other deprived regions of Ghana. This is to be achieved through the promotion of Complementary Basic Education using learner-centred approaches, especially focusing on those children disadvantaged or excluded. Ultimately, civil society coordination and participation together with learning, development and evidence-based programming would be used to support advocacy for policy change.

The goal also includes the promotion of civic awareness and public education and learning through participatory community radio and other platforms that promote adult learning.

What we do