Accra: The Young and Safe Project has directly impacted more than 10,000 young people in the Ho Municipality and has recorded a 40% increase in behavioural change among students who participated in its school club model, according to Project Coordinator Joshua Tetteh Ayayi.
According to Ghana Web, the project is funded by Fondation Botnar and managed by Ecorys UK under the Healthy Cities for Adolescents programme. It is implemented by a consortium led by Node Eight, alongside LoveAid Foundation, the Ghana Education Service, and the Ho Municipal Assembly. The initiative aims to create a youth-friendly city by incorporating young people's voices into local governance and policies while promoting their overall well-being.
Ayayi disclosed the achievements during a stakeholder engagement event organized to validate documents for establishing a Youth Council in the Ho Municipality. The project, running from April 2023 to February 2026, provides young people with training, safe spaces, leadership opportunities, and platforms for community development participation.
Key interventions include Health and Well-being Bootcamps focusing on sexual and reproductive health and rights, mental health, and cyber hygiene. The project also offers virtual reality and robotics training, Design Tahinking Bootcamps, Youth Leadership and Advocacy Training, youth festivals, and activities to rehabilitate the Ho Children's Park.
Ayayi highlighted the project's extensive activities over its three-year implementation. "In terms of direct impact, we have a total of 10,000-plus young people who have been directly impacted through the different activities," Ayayi stated.
He explained that the project's monitoring, evaluation, and learning system identified the need for school clubs to sustain the impact of the training programmes. Initially, the project conducted bootcamps with monitoring shortly after training and again after six months. Data showed that many students often forgot lessons within two to five weeks post-training.
The project piloted Young and Safe Clubs at Tanyigbe and Taviefe Senior High Schools during its second year. Monitoring officers recorded a 40% increase in behavioural change among club participants compared to those who only participated in bootcamps after six months.
Ayayi emphasized that continuous peer education significantly improves the programme's sustainability. "The data revealed that after training, between two and five weeks, some young people had forgotten what they had learnt. When we introduced the clubs and went back after six months, we found a 40% increase in behavioural change in the two schools," he explained.
The clubs will become a major component of the project's extension phase, with the Ghana Education Service leading and LoveAid Foundation providing support. The project is also transitioning its governance component into a Youth Council, offering young people a formal platform to contribute to development planning and policies within the municipality.
Ho Municipal Director of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Mr Charles Kwesi Gomenu, welcomed the proposed Youth Council, describing it as an important step towards strengthening youth participation in local governance. He noted that the council would complement government efforts to establish Youth Councils at national, regional, and district levels.
Mamaga Mexasukpa III, Queen Mother of Akoefe Avenui, commended the project and appealed to traditional leaders and stakeholders to support youth education efforts. She expressed concern over some young people's reluctance to embrace the knowledge imparted to them.
Ayayi stated that the next phase would focus on sustaining gains and connecting the project to a broader ecosystem of youth development initiatives. "We do not want just a Young and Safe project impact. We want to connect Young and Safe to other interventions and organisations so that the gains can be sustained," he said.
Additional interventions include the Y Radio show, which provides information and discussions on youth-related issues, and the Jesi Young and Safe Scholarship, equipping young people with skills to navigate opportunities and challenges as they transition into adulthood.