CORE VALUES
Ø Integrity
Ø Discipline
Ø Accountability
Ø Nationalistic
Our Work
Youth Reading Clubs (YRC)
SEEV-Ghana youth reading club has been established to help address the falling standards in teaching and learning in our deprived communities by forming effective reading clubs in communities and schools in the Upper East Region (UE/R).Research shows that Upper East Region is the most deprived in access to school and also teaching and learning experienced in Ghana. (GLOBAL STUDY ON CHILD POVERTY AND DISPARITIES-July 2010)
The global targets set by the Education for All and the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals have succeeded in focusing donor and the nation’s attention and investment on making sure that more children go to school. As a result, the three poorest regions (Northern, Upper West and Upper East Regions) have seen increase in pupil enrollments with Upper East Region having at least 61.9% enrollment.
While such rapid growth is laudable and unprecedented, this massive expansion of schooling has significantly strained existing education systems (Writing Desk and Chairs, Reading and Writing Materials, Health and Nutrition). Teacher and facility shortages are acute; pupil/teacher ratios are high in Upper East Region (47:1). There are other threatening issues aside from the shortages of teachers and facilities. Among these are the lack of effective teaching practice and very little attention paid to and accountability for pupils learning especially on reading, among teachers and school leaders.
Over the years, standards in teaching and learning in public basic schools in the Upper East Region have been falling with pupils in deprived communities lagging behind and performing six classes below their peers in the high income schools (especially private schools in the region).
Research shows that only 8.9% of the population (15 years and older) are literate in the English Language. The regional level of illiteracy 71.8 per cent is much higher than the national average of 45.9 per cent. The overall levels of educational attainment are much lower in the region, compared with the country as a whole. (ghanadistricts.com)
Reading is thus seen as the fundamental skill upon which all formal education depends; hence the low performance of the deprived community public basic schools in the region is a direct reflection of low reading habits amongst pupils’ in our schools.
The low reading habits more than anything else is the root cause of the chronic low-performance in the region’s deprived community’s public basic schools; this harm the Pupils’ self-esteem and self image, and make parents lose confidence in the public schools system.
SEEV-Ghana therefore believes that formation of youth reading clubs in our communities and schools will effectively guide and augment pupils’ habits in reading and writing, and will lead to child educational success as it forms a critical component in the efforts to close the gap in their learning achievement. The undeniable truth discovered is that, there is joy and freedom that comes with being able to read and for children in poverty; reading brings a freedom that is very real to them.
In medicine, if research found new ways to save lives, health care professionals would adopt these methods as quickly as possible, and would change practices, procedures, and systems. Educational research has found new ways to save young minds by helping them to become proficient readers; therefore SEEV-Ghana takes it as our responsibility to promote these new methods in our communities and schools since our ‘Young Lives’ depend on it. And so does the survival of public education.
As members of SEEV-Ghana, we are unified by our conviction that all children should have an equal opportunity in life through offering pupils in our communities After School Program opportunities to transform their life prospects through teaching them to read, write, and communicate effectively.
Furthermore, no single method of intervention will have more dramatic effect on a pupil’s future learning and success than a solid foundation in literacy. Quite literally, a child’s reading and writing skills are portals to, and catalysts for, whole worlds of learning.
As part of the program, the volunteer teachers of reading and writing in our reading clubs are to benefit from a wide range of leadership and management development opportunities, from classes and seminars to mentoring, from identified professional bodies both internally and international.
SEEV-Ghana seeks individuals, departments and agencies as well as civil society and organizations to partly support financially and non-financially to aid our reading program “YOUTH READING CLUB’’.
Our Approach at YRC:
· Form and elevate youth reading clubs in many communities as possible in the region to encourage the culture or reading habits of pupils
· Focus on preparing, developing pupils as well as rewarding voluntary teachers on our after school program to effectively teach pupils to read and improve on the region’s literacy.
· Focus on the voluntary teacher and community leaders’ effectiveness in improving pupil’s reading outcomes.
· Strengthen the pathway to teaching reading in our deprived communities/public basic schools on reading to sustain pupils’ interest and habit of reading.
GIRLS LEADERSHIP COACHING CLUB (GLCC)
It is a model parliament coordinated by SEEV- Ghana as one major thematic area, established to educate and ensure the youth especially the Girl child in the Upper East Region (UE/R) have much understanding of their rights and also able to participate in the workings of government both at the local and national level through; debating on environmental issues, socio-economic and cultural dimensions of society which is a major challenge to their development. It is also to augment efforts to promote community service programmes in the Upper East Region (UE/R) in particular and Ghana as a whole, in a much better way to crave the desired political impact on social and political changes that will advocate programmes towards the development of women. The larger responsibility of our leaders in government is expected to create a much participatory role by girls (women) in good governance and environmental issues that will serve to improve the development of the girl child.
GOAL OF GLCC
v SEEV-GHANA as a project seeks to promote and supports the advancement of the human rights of women and girls. We work to strengthen girls’ rights and create social and knowledge sharing clubs, groups and associations congenial for young women (Girls) of Ghana; particularly in the UE/R to have a lively and welcoming environment to espouse their human rights, discuss and debate on environmental, socio-cultural and economic issues that affect their participation in developments affecting their livelihood.
OBJECTIVES OF GLCC
v To facilitate young girls’ projects and activities that promotes self-confidence, critical thinking and problem solving among the ‘Girl peer’.
v To encourage girls’ keen participation to advocate on issues affecting young people, instead of their male counterparts always speaking for them.
v Give Girls /Women the spotlight and chance to prove that they are a key part of change and progression in society since they eventually become the adults who mothers children of the nation – Ghana.
v Give young women in the UE/R that pace and energetic environment to share and spread relevant information that involves and benefit them.
v As peace and national builders themselves (Girls/Women) recognize programmes that will educate young people to resist the temptation of being used as vessels and tools to fuel political/chieftaincy disputes.
v Enable young women of UE/R to follow discourse on issues discussed in the Assemblies as well as Bills passed and budget statements made in parliament, for better understanding of matters arising and positively participating in the implementation process.
ACTIVITIES/HOW
a) THE HOW
GLCC is a leadership development program for girls from their formative years to adulthood i.e. from the basic levels of education to Senior High School/Tertiary levels. During this period, girls from diverse cultures and backgrounds come together to engage in activities designed to fully awaken the leader within them, in which GLCC empowers the next generation of principled leaders (Girls/women) who will create a just and sustainable Ghana through developing their leadership skills, and strengthen their commitment, enthusiasm and confidence to make a difference in their communities. SEEV-Ghana reaches girls during this critical period in their development when many young women may become distracted and sometimes derailed by societal pressures, rigid gender-role expectations, and wavering self-esteem. To meet the reality on the ground, GLCC as a programme seeks to counterbalance these challenges, and promote principled leadership with strong advocacy, responsible citizenship, girl rights, and gender equality, gain the skills and conviction necessary to become principled feminist leaders of the next generation world. GLCC assist girls to learn how young women can be socially conscious leaders in any career path by taking steps to creating a just and sustainable world around them. Build long-lasting mentoring relationships between girl peers and accomplished women leaders in the UE/R and beyond, while learning with passion to mentor others in the future. Lead girls to make a difference in the course young women are passionate about by developing their own social justice projects and programmes to implement in their communities after graduation from school. Finally, advance the development of social change by engaging in activism, politics, challenging bias, and embracing diversity.
b) THE ACTIVITIES
Girl Leadership Coaching Clubs (GLCC); a Girl centred ‘think tank’ which is dedicated to the analysis of and dialogue involving issues bothering on socio-economic, politics, culture and the environment, and the role of the Girl/ Woman in national development, as such the activities ensues;
v Formation of Girl Leadership Coaching Clubs (GLCC) in local communities and schools in the Upper East Region (UE/R) of Ghana.
v Facilitate capacity building and training centres on ICT, society studies, good governance and parliamentary processes/ proceeding.
v Debate among Girl Leadership Coaching Clubs (GLCC) in the Districts/region.
v Engage in reproductive Health, information about sex and Sexuality/Moral education
v Motivational career Coaching/speeches, Mentorship, career development and Leadership training
v Organize GLCC House/Pseudo Parliament (Mock).
RURAL GIRLS ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROJECT (RUGEP)
SEEV- Ghana has realized that most girls in rural Ghana especially in the UE/R go through various forms of challenges ranging from the lack of counsel to high unemployment issues due to inadequate skills acquired during school programmes, high economic poverty and often high illiteracy rate, therefore render them unemployable and vulnerable to the environment they find themselves, as a result they are unable to cater for themselves and to take responsible actions to alleviate the myriad of challenges that impede their progress and the economy of their families, hence RUGEP is established to address the above challenges.
A lot of girls from rural Ghana drop-out of school or complete their Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS) without any choice but get into early marriage live; embracing poverty, social slavery and difficulties associated with such marriages that expose their off-springs to the danger of the lack of quality education, health/nutrition and good shelter.
Others for want of further advancement in their economic lives get associated with certain social vices including drug abuse and addition, petty stealing and arm robbery, prostitution among others. This is often seen with teenage girls dropping out of school and migrating from the Northern parts of Ghana especially the UE/R to the Southern sectors, in search for nonexistent jobs, leading to streetism, teenage/unwanted pregnancies and often times the result being high maternal mortality.
It is in this vain that SEEV- Ghana identified capacity building and skills acquisition activities in the form of indigenous handicraft technology (‘Yarn’/Bolga Basket weaving), fashion and design, Hair-dressing and the introduction of micro-enterprise /entrepreneurship development activities among others, as a major step to achieve economic progression that will move the rural girls with the needed skills and capacity to advance into responsible womanhood and with good live choices.
As an interventionists strategy, SEEV-Ghana also seeks to promote girls within project operational areas who wish among other opportunities to continue their education, to achieve high laurels, by organizing extra ‘Out of School Programme’ tuition (‘remedial classes’) that will equip them with the necessary knowledge/resources and the needed financial support to enable the drop-out girls re-sit the unsuccessful papers and get back to further their education. This is a further step to empower the Girl or young women with educational capacity and knowledge to advocate for their rights and see the leader in them, a ‘Will’, that innate character of which would aid and give them the spotlight to take reigns of authority as principled next generation leaders, core for the development of the African continent and beyond.
SOCIAL/MICRO-SAVINGS FOR MICRO- ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT (SEEV-Ghana WOMEN SAVINGS NETWORK)
The third thematic area and whish is core to SEEV-Ghana programmes is Social and community services, top in her agenda to aid the needed growth and development of most vulnerable groups in society (women). Women and children have therefore been the point of focus in this sector of our work. Contributions from women have been immense in the economy of the family and community as whole and therefore supporting women in this sense means transforming their lives, their children’s access to education and health. It is for this reason that SEEV-Ghana has identified micro-savings as a tool or a lead-way to enhance rural micro-enterprises, as well as alternative livelihood support systems to help alleviate poverty in rural areas and enable the poor in society who are mostly women to improve on access to education, health, markets, agriculture and financial information which is also in line with the Millennium Development goal of reducing poverty. SEEV therefore extend welfare oriented services on rural enterprise development, technology support and management strategies to women engaged in small to medium scale enterprises.
GOAL
The larger aim in this sector of our work is to establish a sustainable micro-finance/Savings network of women from low income/distressed communities to develop more successful and sustainable rural micro-enterprises.
OBJECTIVES
v Develop proactive saving culture among low income women in distressed communities.
v Build business opportunities and entrepreneurial skills among women.
v Aid women with more sustained rural enterprise growth and development, through prudent financial and management practices.
v Augment capacity and skill acquisition through training and education amongst women low income communities.
v Unlock potential of low income women through indigenous technology to fight poverty.
v Develop self-determined women to establish vibrant small to medium-scale enterprises in low-income communities.
v Establish sustained and proactive cooperative groups/societies in rural settings.
SEEV-Ghana Saving Network ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMMES
Programmes structured under the micro-savings scheme are varied and segmented in a number of forms organized to fulfill the goal of appropriating and empowering women in their socio-economic status in society, including:
1. Micro-finance and Enterprise development.
· Micro-credit
· Micro/social savings schemes (SEEV savings Network)
· Micro-enterprise development (women petty trading)
· Small scale irrigation activities (women crops)
· Supply and management of agronomic inputs to women and use.
· Market Access/linkages (both internal and external)
2. Alternative livelihood support schemes for women (Off-farm activities to energize rural enterprise development)
· Petty trading and rearing of ruminants/guinea fowls
· Basket/smock weaving (yarn clothe)
· Cooking oil production (shea-nut/groundnut oil production)
· Dress making/Hair dressing and education
· Pottery, art and craft
· Brewing ‘Pito” and Bar management
· Food vending
3. Advocacy and Training on;
· development programmes for indigenous industries
· market access
· rural entrepreneurship development
· value chain initiatives for indigenous projects
· environmental and sanitation service programmes for rural communities
· policy and programme implementation affecting rural industries and production
4. Fund sourcing/raising for social mitigation
· Research and development
· Proposal writing
METHODOLOGY:
In the short term, SEEV-Ghana emphasis is basically on women social savings scheme which is already an on-going programme, with two well organized groups of between 9-15 women each. There are more satellite groups on the preparation stages and would join the network upon the recommendation of the field Officer in charge of the venture.
GROUP FORMATION/MANAGEMENT:
The social savings system adopted is for the poor in the communities to provide sustainable and profitable microfinance and micro-enterprise services (micro-savings and micro-credit so forth) to as many distressed communities’ women especially with little or no access to financial services.
The network groups are self-selected/self-motivated women. They meet regularly to save small sums of money usually a minimum of One Ghana Cedi (GHc1.00) per-day. Members are however, not obliged to any fixed amount but contribute to the pool according to how much an individual woman could save. The money is then pooled into a common fund managed by SEEV-Ghana, and banked in a reputable financial institution in the name of SEEV Savings Network and lent to members of the network for repayment with a relatively small interest rate accruing to the benefit of members of the various groups within a specified pre-agreed period of six to twelve (6-12) Months. The emphasis here is to enable women adequate time to mobilize some money in the pool that would be sufficient to aid their micro-credit needs.
The focus is also to build savings and assets, and provide credit proportionate to the needs and repayment abilities of the borrowers, to continue the petty trading and other off-farm activities of women in the communities.
Managing these groups is simple, low-cost and can be a first step for women to reach a more formal and wider option of financial services. Though women are engaged in diverse businesses (small to medium-scale) ventures, SEEV-Ghana draws groups from self-motivated individual women and helps them to build social capital and promote environmental sustainability in the community especially given the larger proportion of the population of women in the communities. In this, members are able to meet in addition to their domestic financial responsibilities, other traditional obligations, such as health, nutrition and education of their wards, etc.
Group membership is typically 10-15 individuals’ per-group with a full cycle of twelve (12) months within which savings and interest earned through internal lending is shared among group members in proportion to the amount each group member has saved at the end of each Savings cycle.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS/BENEFITS
ü DAILY SAVINGS
Individual women are required to save a minimum of one Ghana cedi (GH¢1.00) daily or more to their groups’ savings/financial pool, which is managed by SEEV-Ghana and which provides new and innovative ways for project to better enable poor households to protect income and assets, increase productivity and business opportunities, insulate against risks and shocks, and improve health and education outcomes of their farm families.
ü FULL AND PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL
Group members who wish to make full/partial withdrawal can do so after three Months of continuous savings with the group. Note that full withdrawal may mean that membership with the said group ceases until request for repayment commences immediately while remaining as contributor to the savings scheme of the group. In any case a partial/full withdrawal could attract a small percentage charge as may be determined by the group. It is also important to note that withdrawal made at anytime of the Month will be considered for deduction for recovery, at the end of the preceding Month.
ü GROUP/INDIVIDUAL LOANS
The group as a member of SEEV’s Savings Network qualifies for micro-credit after Six Months of continuous savings with the Network savings scheme in a common Bank account. This allows management of SEEV-Ghana to be able to transact workable micro-credit schemes from the Bank operating with and other micro-finance organizations/institutions in the country and other parts of the world.
A member of any of the women groups who also demonstrates commitment and the willingness to expand their micro-enterprise will equally be assisted financially and the needed technical education.
ü LOAN REPAYMENT
Every group/individual who is assisted with any micro-finance support, bores it as a responsibility to make full payment of the loan as may be required by SEEV’s Savings Network and or any awarding micro-finance institution/organization; the repayment terms/conditions.
In the case of a revolving fund, the group or individual may be required to seed the fund to yield further benefits for other groups and beneficiaries of the Network.
Note that any beneficiary of micro-finance loans who refuses to repay a loan benefited, bear the consequences therein. Therefore the emphasis is on repayment of loans as this will sustain the Network and its’ operations with the various groups.
ü SEEV’S ROLE
Management will facilitate the growth and development of the Network and individual women micro-enterprises through prudent management of their savings, fund sourcing (internal and external sources), education and capacity building in varied areas of need, and most importantly the recycling of groups savings with identified financial Institutions that will grow their money in a most efficient and profitable way. It is also worth noting here that groups or individuals who do not wish to put their money into recycling venture or processes are also not obliged to do so.
ON-GOING PROJECTS
i. GIRLS LEADERSHIP COACHING (GLCC)
ii. YOUTH READING CLUB (YRC)
iii. SOCIAL/MICRO-SAVINGS FOR MICRO- ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT (SEEV-Ghana WOMEN SAVINGS NETWORK)
iv. DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH AND CONSULTANCY.
