Savana: The Savana Signatures, a non-government organisation (NGO), has engaged health officials and other stakeholders in the Upper East Region on social, behavioural change communication and nutrition in schools and communities.
According to Ghana News Agency, the engagement, in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), brought together regional and district nutrition and health promotion officers, School Health Education Programme (SHEP) coordinators, and representatives from the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS). Mr Godwin Etornam Adu, the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Research and Learning (MEARL) Officer of Savana Signatures, stated that the initiative aims to promote social and behavioural change and communication around nutrition in schools and communities.
Mr Adu explained that the intervention would complement an existing school feeding programme in the region by adding a social and behavioural change communication component. The project will initially target four districts in the region: Bawku West, Bawku Municipal, Garu, and Tempane. A total of 44 schools across these districts were selected for the school-based component of the intervention.
The MEARL Officer noted that the initiative is already ongoing and described the existing school feeding programme in the region as a solid foundation upon which the new component would be built. He emphasized that the collaboration with WFP adds significant value to the ongoing project, which has already seen success.
Mr Adu further explained the work of Savana Signatures, describing the organization as an ICT-for-development entity that integrates technology into its programme areas. The Tamale-based NGO has been operating for over 16 years across four strategic pillars, including human capital development, social inclusion and cohesion, technology, innovation and training, and sustainable environmental management and resilience.
The MEARL Officer expressed confidence in the capacity of regional and district-level stakeholders to support the successful implementation of the intervention. He indicated that the engagement had generated strong commitment from officials at both the regional and district levels.
Mr Rexford King James Adjei, the Upper East Regional Health Promotion Officer, who deputized for Dr Braimah Baba Abubakari, the Regional Director of the GHS, urged participants to brief their respective directors on the project to facilitate its smooth implementation. Madam Gloria Yvonne Kobati, the Regional Nutrition Officer, noted that the leadership of the GHS in the region had consistently supported initiatives to promote quality health and nutrition outcomes.