Ka-dunn, Ka-dunn (Little by Little)



Active participation during extra classes

On more of a day-to-day operational level our work has involved trying to increase communication efforts at YA; chiefly social media engagement and website updates and articles on beneficiaries which is a process we are slowly trying to formalize for consistency. Alex, Mavis (my co-workers) and I have also taken it upon ourselves to hold extra English classes for any and all primary school children who are interested. It’s been so much fun, and a surprising number of students actually show up (out of their own free will!) We do a lot of reading, simple vocab and spelling to try and reinforce what they’ve been learning in school. One of our teaching “strategies” is getting them to act out parts of the stories we read to aid their understanding and to make the learning more hands-on. It ALMOST makes me wish I had gone into teaching ;)



Extra class sessions

2012 is a big year in Ghana with nationwide elections slated for the end of the year. YA plans to engage the local street youth of voting age (18-25) on the importance of their peaceful participation in Ghana’s political process. Too often, the marginalized  street youth are targeted by political factions to contribute in violent and disruptive behavior that causes fear, panic and disorder within communities that support their opponents.

It is every individual’s civic responsibility to ensure that the government represents the cumulative needs and desires of all Ghanaians, regardless of social background. YA seeks to improve the youth’s understanding of governance in Ghana and how they can use their voice to shape a nation that is receptive to issues that affect them daily. This can be accomplished by encouraging them to consider current policies in government services like education, health care, sanitation and transportation; researching  alternative political parties and their perspectives; formulating an opinion and officially registering to vote. Secondly, YA hopes to instill the ethics behind a fair and just electoral process that supports the right for every citizen (including the youth themselves) to vote without fear of intimidation or harassment.

Meeting with YA & Transport Union

This is a long term project that YA plans to support through various stages. Currently we’ve begun by meeting with youth leaders in organized areas of the community where the youth tend to seek employment. Many young men find work as porters and loaders at the transport yards and bus stations and are managed by owners of the transport union. We met with members of the union to explain our objectives and how their support as 3^rd party advocates who co-operate with, mentor and encourage the youth would go a long way in achieving our goal. Luckily they were extremely receptive to our ideas and have committed to attending workshops and education seminars that will teach/introduce core concepts about governance and Ghana’s political landscape in a way that can be communicated to the youth workers they oversee.



Street youth porters



Wave of the future?

Youth will also be educated as to upholding the integrity of the electoral process through the “one person, one vote” concept. Ghana is at a revolutionary point in its political history as this election year will introduce a new biometric voter registration system that will include the collection of fingerprint and photo data to properly track and analyze votes and ensure a transparent election. I’m extremely excited to watch this all unfold throughout the country and in our local area. This is something that is not yet even done in North America during elections (the only place I’ve ever seen it done is at JFK Airport!) and has the potential to make Ghana a pioneer in Africa's democratic development.

It’s thought-provoking to notice the similarities and differences between Ghana and Canada’s issues with youth participation in elections. Back home it’s easy to forget that not everyone is able to go to a polling station without facing social backlash due to their beliefs. Conversely I do know that we encounter a similar struggle with voter turnout in the same demographic of seemingly ignorant or apathetic young adults who either don’t believe their voice can make a difference or know enough to make an informed decision.