• Ghana

Leaving No One Behind, Ensuring All Inclusiveness in Hope for Future Generations’ Programme

HFFG PROFILE

HFFG is a Ghanaian NGO established in 2001, dedicated to improving the quality of life of women, adolescent girls, children and other vulnerable groups. The organization’s primary focus is to pursue innovative interventions that will improve the socio-economic wellbeing of women, young girls, children and other vulnerable groups. We have for the past 17 years designed and implemented numerous community-based programmes that have contributed immensely to improving the health and socio-economic conditions of women, young girls, children and other vulnerable groups in all parts of Ghana. Our focus areas of operation include sexual and reproductive health and rights; HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment and support; socio-economic empowerment; WASH, BCC and capacity building. Over the past 10 years, we have partnered UNICEF, UNFPA, UKAID, USAID, JSI Research and Training Institute, Care International, John Hopkins University, Plan International, the academia  and other funding organizations to implement community-based interventions on social and behavioural change and advocacy in all parts of the country. The organization has a 7 member Board of Directors, a 7 member Management team and four (4) departments, namely; Programs &Advocacy, Finance, Human Resource and Administration, Communication and Information Technology, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning. All projects are led by Project Coordinators with dedicated project officers. HFFG’s head office is in Accra and various regional and district offices strategically positioned to Coordinate projects across the 10 original regions of Ghana and the 6 newly created regions.

What is the problem?

According to the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS, 2014), the country is characterised by a young population. Adolescents aged 10-19 and young adults aged 20-24 together constitute 29.3% of Ghana’s population (21.9% adolescents and 7.4% young adults respectively). This population includes Young Persons with Disabilities (YPWDs) and is faced with particular challenges related to their Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), HIV and STIs, mental health, substance use, various forms of violence, inequalities, risks and vulnerabilities linked with child marriage, child labour and trafficking. Many YPWDs especially girls have limited access to education, health care, decision-making, employment opportunities suffer discrimination and violations of their basic human rights.

The situation is even worse for young people aged 10-24 years as they have little or no information/education on SRHR. Most often than not, SRHR packages are not designed in ways they can easily access to help them make informed choices. Also, in the case of young people with hearing impairment, they are unable to communicate changes that occur in their bodies so they can get help from appropriate sources. Unfortunately, there are very few people who can communicate in sign language in our health systems or even with the special skills to communicate with people with intellectual disabilities. YPWDs are frequently neglected.

Hope for Future Generations’ (HFFG) SRHR and HIV Prevention using SBCC strategy to engage young people with disability  

Hope for Future Generations believes that YPWDs can only realise their full SRHR needs and their right to participate in policy development and implementation processes when all forms of discrimination and restrictions at societal, institutional and political levels that reinforce the taboos on their sexuality are eliminated. In response to these prevailing issues, HFFG, a member of the Ghana SRHR Alliance for Young People implementing the “Get Up, Speak Out” (GUSO) project is keen on reaching YPWDs within the Northern and Upper East Region with SRHR information and education. The project goal is to ensure “All young people fully enjoy their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in productive equal and healthy society”. HFFG is currently working with the Savelugu School for the Deaf and Yumba Special School to ensure YPWDs are empowered to realise their full potential and have the right to participate in discussions and decisions that affect their sexuality and with Mampong Senior High Technical School for the Deaf and Cape Coast School for the deaf under the HopePal project

In order to address the varied and complex SRH needs of the YPWDs, HFFG engaged key stakeholders such as the Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service, District Assemblies, and PWDs associations to identify organised YPWD groups- including specialised schools for PWDs- within the Northern Region and onwards engaging the heads of the identified schools. Through these engagements and discussions, HFFG developed different behaviour Change communication strategy and approaches in delivering interventions based on the varied needs of the YPWDs in the identified schools in order to increase access to and utilisation of quality SRHR and HIV Prevention information and Comprehensive Sexuality Education. Heads and teachers of these schools were identified and trained to support in the delivery of designed interventions and create an enabling environment to support the delivery of these interventions.

Background information – Savelugu School for the Deaf

The Savelugu School for the Deaf was established in 1978 with the aim of providing formal education to children with hearing disability in the Northern Region. The school currently has a total student population of 450 (198 females and 252 males). The ages of students ranges from 4 to 24 years. The school is populated by children and youth from the Northern and Upper East Regions (in Ghana) and Togo. There are 32 teachers (20 males and 12 females). The school is financed through Government subvention.

Background information – Yumba Special School

The school was established in September 2003 to educate and train persons with intellectual disabilities in the Northern Region. The school currently has a total population of 183 (75 females and 108 males) with an age range of 7 to 28 years. Staff population comprise teaching staff (5 males and 5 females) and non-teaching staff (4 males and 8 females). The school is also financed by Government of Ghana and occasionally through donations fro m individuals and groups.

Key results of implemented interventions

As part of the interventions:

• Trained 210 students and teachers in menstrual and personal hygiene
• HFFG organised sensitisation and education programmes in both schools
• 5 teachers in both schools were trained to provide quality SRHR education to the pupils
• 10 Peer Educators were identified and trained to facilitate SRHR education and information
• 633 YPWDs were reached with SRH information and Comprehensive Sexual Education
• SRHR school clubs were formed in both schools to provide quality comprehensive Sexuality education and information to other Young PWDs in schools
• HFFG facilitated the participation of YPWD in the African Youth Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit in Accra in November 2017 to ensure their needs and concerns are included in continental dialogues on the SDGs.
• School clubs were formed in the schools. Members of the clubs regular meet to share SRHR information and clear doubts on issues concerning their sexuality.
• Partnered CHRAJ and DOVVSU to train 150 students, boys and girls on gender based violence and human rights issues.

Our Life Changing Stories

“I am a 15 year old girl who hails from a small community in Gushegu. I woke up one day and was told I have been married off to a 52 year old man by my father. I refused to accept that and as a result was bind and sent to my husband’s house. I spent a couple of days in that house and whiles at the house I was quietly planning my escape. I had the contact number of a peer educator who came to my community to sensitize us about child marriage and I managed to call her. This peer educator told me if I could ran out of my hide out to Gushegu she will get me help. And so I managed to escape and met up with the peer educator who linked me up to CHRAJ, the Police and Social welfare. They made efforts to arrest my father but failed.  I stayed with the peer educator and her family until the MP from Gushegu heard my story and decided to allow me stay with her. I am currently enrolled in school and lam in class five. I thank HFFG for rescuing me and changing my life.

Cape Coast School for the deaf

HFFG has partnered Ghana Education Service to work with selected schools to promote Social and Behavioural Change interventions interactive theatre to address the SRHR needs of people with hearing impairment. Twenty 20 young people with hearing impairment were trained in Peer Educators, SRH and HIV prevention theatre. The Peer educators carry out weekly Peer to Peer education and theatre to reach out to 201 boys and girls through Peer to Peer education and interactive theatre on HIV prevention and SRH

 Mampong Senior High Technical School for the Deaf under the HopePal project

HFFG continue to partner Mampong Senior High Technical school to empower the students on SRHR.  As a landmark for celebrating 15 years of existence under the theme “Championing Equal Opportunities for Women, Children, and the Vulnerable through Sustainable Partnerships, HFFG came up with a project, HopePal, which focuses on Mampong  Senior High Technical School for the Deaf. Through the HopePal activities, HFFG supported 489 Hearing Impairment students with SRH information and SRHR school clubs formed to provide quality SRH education and information to their peers. Also to mark the 2018 International Day for PWDs, HFFG had physical interaction between interested mentors and students/staff of the schools for the Deaf. The mentoring program employed games and sporting approach, which has been termed HopePalympics and was used in the long run to increase the knowledge of the students on SRH. HFFG has established foot club in the schools. Various SBCC materials on SRH, HIV and malaria prevention are regularly distributed to them.

HFFG together with EIB Network and STAR Ghana conducted a survey on the existing gaps in accessing socio-economic and entrepreneurial opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Savelugu and Yendi Districts in the Northern Region. The objectives of the study were to:

• To establish baseline data and evidence on the level of access of PWDs to government livelihood opportunities and other social services in Savelugu and Yendi municipalities.
• To ascertain the extent to which PWDs in these districts are benefiting or assessing social and entrepreneurial services.
• To document the associated challenges PWDs face while participating in local governance and accessing benefits from public goods and services.
• To document other needs of PWDs to inform subsequent advocacy interventions of the project.

This survey was to provide the baseline information for the implementation of the STAR Women

Dream Edition

This survey, HFFG worked with over 4,226 PWDs through focus group discussions, one-on-one interview and group discussions. The result of the survey was disseminated among PWD groups and CSOs for advocacy of the disability policy.

HFFG continuous partnered with Association of persons with Disability and media to create awareness and advocate for the implementation of the disability policy in Ghana.

Key success stories

As part of ensuring inclusiveness and building the capacity of young people on SRHR policies and legal framework, HFFG supported the participation of Hadijatu, a student of the Savelugu School of the Deaf in the African Youth SDGs Summit in Accra, Ghana. She was accompanied by her teacher and interpreter, Genevieve Karaah, to the Summit which was the maiden edition organised by Youth Advocates Ghana in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Youth Authority and the African Monitor (South Africa), with support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The goal of the summit was to provide an open and inclusive platform for 400 young people in Africa, SDG Achievers, African Governments, development partners and the private sector to dialogue and address issues through innovative ways, pertinent issues affecting the youth, such as poverty, unemployment, conflict and climate change in the African sub-region.

Hadijatu participated actively in the discussions and was excited that her voice was part of the final outcome document of the Summit which will be a major tool for advocacy for African youth. She was excited to better understand what the Sustainable Development Goals were and her role in achieving them as a young person living with a disability.  “I will make sure my school mates benefit from the knowledge I gained here”, Genevieve explained Hadijatu’s excitement in sign language.

HFFG also supported two young persons living with HIV (YPLHIV) to participate in the recent National HIV and AIDS Research Conference (NHARCON) conference held in Accra. These YPLHIV had the opportunity to access first-hand information on recent research and findings on HIV/AIDS in Ghana. They also had the opportunity to network with other PLHIVs and develop new strategies to get SRHR information across to their peers.

HFFG’S intervention to achieve its women  empowerment program has achieved the following

• HFFG formed 51 Village Savings and Loans Associations with a membership of 935 women.
• Total amount accumulated is GH¢401,944.03.
• VSLA has become an alternative or additional source of income for women to enhance family life as a result of business skills training that exposed the women to new businesses while others expanded their old businesses.
• Some VSLA members are soap and beads producers.
• 40 VSLAs increased their returns on savings
• 624 women had loans at their door steps at a lower interest rate.
• 148 people have been trained to sensitize community members on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.
• 1,216 people made up of 772 women and 444 men are now gender sensitive after going through 8 weeks Gender Discussion Series.
• Trained 29 people made up of 15 women and 14 men on Engaging men in Accountable Practice (EMAP) to train people in the communities.

• Engaging Men in Accountable Practice (EMAP) trainers rolled out EMAP in the 15 programme communities (phase one) for both male and female participants. A total of 1,274 community members made up of 805 women and 469 men participated in the meetings during the post test.
• Trained 15 women as Community Facilitators and 11 women as Community Ambassadors to take care of the groups at the community level. This will ensure sustainability of the programme after programme period.