Reviving self-help spirit of deprived communities

One legacy the partners of Empowerment for Life (E4L) Program are leaving in the beneficiary communities in Northern Ghana is renewed self-help spirit. Deprived communities are becoming more interested in finding ways to solve their problems with their own local resources before seeking external support.

Sung in the Karaga District of Northern Ghana is one of such communities. The community has been able to raise over $5,500 to purchase a standby generator to power its water pumping machine to supply the community safe drinking water.

As a beneficiary of the E4L Program that has gone through resource mobilization training and received pep talks on undertaking self-help initiatives, the Tehisu Farmer Association, reached out to the Sung Water Management Committee in the community and suggested the idea of mobilizing funds to buy a generator to address the frequent power outages in the community.

Few years ago, the community got support from a non-profit organization to construct a mechanized borehole. As part of the sustainability measures, the community people pay a token to fetch the water. But anytime the community experienced power outage, the water system would not work because there would be no electricity to power the pumping machine.

“We saw how our women and children were walking far distances in the bush for water when we have light off and that was the reason why supported the farmer group’s idea to buy the generator”, Mohammed Tahidu, the Secretary to the Water Management explains.

Tahidu says there is nothing wrong with seeking external support but “it is more dignifying to solve your

problem on your own.”

Encouraging communities to undertake self-help initiatives remains one of the underlying pillars of the E4L Program funded by CISU and Ghana Venskab.

The implementing partners namely Ghana Developing Communities Association, YEFL-Ghana, Changing Lives in Innovative Partnerships and School for Life throughout the four phases of the program have sung deep into the souls of the deprived communities, the need to mobilize themselves and resources to solve their problems.

Story by Audrey Awentemi Atuirey, a Student Intern from UDS, specialising in Development Communication.