Oxfam in Ghana Quarterly Digest GHQ002

Quarterly Digest
GHQ002 - May 2015
Country Directors
Opening comment
(Even it Up, Inequality in the world)

Oxfam as a leading international organisation is passionate about fighting poverty and injustice in the world. Our programmes and interventions are geared towards empowering people especially women to lift them out of poverty and
demand their rights as citizens.
Oxfam launched the Even it Up campaign in October 2014 to raise the awareness of the increasing inequality that the
world is suffering. In the second edition of Oxfam in Ghanas Quarterly Digest, we take a keen look at the issue of inequality as expressed from different perspectives in addition to other stories from our country strategy planning, gender
training for our partners and field stories from our climate and extractive programmes.
IN THIS EDITION
Regional Director, Aboubacry Tall briefs the Media on Oxfams Ebola
response in West Africa
Gender Training for Partners
Climate Resilient Agricultural and Food System launched in Northern
Ghana
Queen mothers speak up at a land rally for traditional leaders
International Day of Peasant Struggle marked with rice farmers
Agriculture has the highest returns in terms of productivity-ACEP
Exe. Dir. stressed
Having Fun with Oxfun
OXFAM IN GHANA QUARTERLY DIGEST
OXNEWS
Oxfam Country Strategy Workshop
The Country Strategy Development workshop brought partners affiliates together to chart a new path, a path that will
determine Oxfam in Ghanas programme focus for the next five years. The discussions, sharing of ideas and experiences
gathered from the past years were heart warming.
One thing became clear in all deliberations.
The enthusiasm and agility of participants
to understand Oxfams new vision and the
anxiety exhibited to welcome this change.
All of the pointers indicated a sense of
willingness of both our national and local
partners to contribute to the Oxfam vision.
Group discussions during the Oxfam Country Strategy workshop

Photo Credit/ Naana Nkansah Agyekum/Oxfam
At the end of the country

strategy, the onus now lies
on Oxfam, partners and
communities to take lead
in the implementation of
the commitments we have
all agreed on, in order to
continually fight poverty
and injustice but probably
this time round in a more
Clara Osei-Boateng of SEND Ghana making a

presentation for her group
connected manner.
Making a little contribution

to lessen the burden on
our hard working farmers
across the country through
advocacy and getting deeply
involved in the development
process of Oxfam Country
Strategy is a rare opportunity
and a great experience for
me,
One of our partners expressed his opinion

after the whole process. Making a little
contribution to lessen the burden on our hard
working farmers across the country through
advocacy and getting deeply involved in
the development process of Oxfam Country
Strategy is a rare opportunity and a great
experience for me, Pascal Kudiabor of SEND
Ghana intimated.
Group assisgnment for participants at the OCS workshop

Regional Director, Aboubacry

Tall briefs the Media on Oxfams Ebola response:
Oxfam in Ghana had the opportunity to host the Regional Director to share some of Oxfams emergency response on Ebola
with the media and the public.
Aboubacry Tall addressing the media on Oxfams Ebola response
The Regional Director granting interview to TV3
According to the Regional Director, Oxfam as an organisation
He emphasised that the poor health infrastructure in affected
has committed about 20 million to the Ebola emergency
countries; the fear surrounding the disease were some
case and classified it as category one. We are still not
factors that posed a huge challenge to the fight against the
done yet because we are also concern about the aftermath
Ebola epidemic
of the epidemic, what happens to the three West African
at the initial
countries? We need to continuously work hard to improve
stage of the
their living conditions and livelihoods, he added.
outbreak.
http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/media-center/regional-news/262oxfam-mobilizes-28-million-pounds-sterling-towards-evd-prevention-and-
We are still not done yet

because we are also concern
about the aftermath of the
epidemic
reduction-gt-r
Country Learning Review;

The Country Learning Review (CLR) meeting
is
one
of
the
Monitoring,
Evaluation,
Accountability and Learning (MEAL) strategies

used by Oxfam country programmes to review
performance, learn from the past year and
foster accountability of Oxfam to partners. The
2015 Ghana Country Learning Review brought
together all Oxfam partners and allies to assess
its collective work in the financial year.
Partners having an energizer at the OCS

The process offered the country team a time to pause for a

retrospective look at activities in the year. Partners and allies
supported Oxfam in Ghana to deeply reflect on its work as they
dished out their successes, challenges and aspirations in the
The process offered the country team

a time to pause for a retrospective
look at activities in the year
new financial year.

Partners across programmes indicated
that key lessons they have learnt to
improve their work were;

Using evidence produced by

Campaign members enhanced the
credibility of the advocacy work.
Engaging the media were helpful in

bringing to light advocacy issues
raised
Networking strategically and

building partnership provided
alternative platforms for advocacy
across the different programmes.
A section of partners at the OCS

Gender Training for Partners

Oxfam continues to imbibe gender issues into partners to help them mainstream it in their programmes. The second dose of
the Gender at Work training was given to Wacam, Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPiL) and some staff of Oxfam.
The training came as a follow
up to an earlier one to help
deepen
understanding
of
change process and build

the confidence of partners as
change agents.
The process helped to create
a linkage between our work as
Oxfam and partners to give a
deeper understanding across
programmes.
A debate on gender issues
Apart from partners some key community members also

benefitted from the training. Joanna Manu, an Assembly
Woman at Dumasi in the Western Region was one
such person. According to her, all the training she has
received from Wacam, an Oxfam partner organisation
has offered her the knowledge and confidence to
quote the mining act and all related legislation to
challenge mining companies to ensure that her people
are not taken for granted. The mining companies were
doing their own thing without any consultation with
Joana Manu, making a point on the impact of the training
In
GROW
related
and
partners
different now, she explained.
development,
other
were
the community members in the past but the story is
national
introduced
to the Oxfam gender toolkit.

Some participants shared their
experiences.
Theophilus
Boakye
Yiadom,
Friends of the Nation; It is

very useful as I have learnt a
lot from what other partner
organisations are doing with
gender and the gender tools
offer a chance for intuition and
proper planning to implement
our work on gender.
It is very useful as I have

learnt a lot from what other
partner organisations are
doing with gender and the
gender tools offer a chance
for intuition and proper
planning to implement our
work on gender
Partners at the Oxfam gender toolkit training showing their gender lens
For Aisha Mohammed of SEND Ghana, two key things that come to mind from what
she learnt from the training are that gender issues are broad and complex and
need to be tackled with an objective strategy; again gender issues continue to
evolve therefore there is the need to continually renew gender policies to reflect
new issues.
Freda Opoku, Africa Centre for Energy policy (ACEP); The training has taught me
so many things about applying gender mainstreaming at both the programme and
organisational level.
Climate Resilient Agricultural

and Food System launched in Northern Ghana
The project which is termed Climate Resilient Agricultural
climate change with clear signs of floods, droughts and
and Food System (CRAFS) has the overall goal of fighting
storms. This project therefore requires total commitments
against poverty and effect of climate change by enhancing
of all partners to achieve the expected results, he
the livelihood security and capacity for adaptation
emphasised.
measures for the most vulnerable in Northern Ghana.

Our partners, Presbyterian Agric. Station-Garu (PAS-G),
Augustine Liebo Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for
Partners in Rural Empowerment and Development (PARED),
Nandom Deanery Integrated Rural Development Programme
Nandom Deanery Integrated Rural Development Programme
(NANDIRDEP) has this to say: It is people centred and would
(NANDIRDEP) and Professional Network, North (ProNet North)
contribute to lessen the negative impact of climate change
will be implementing the project in the Garu Tempane, East
in our part of the country as the impacts are obviously
Mamprusi, Nandom and Nadowli-Kaleo districts respectively
showing in all over our communities.
in the Northern, Upper East and West Regions.
Some
partners shared their insight about the new project.
Martin Dery, Director of Professional Network North

added that; There is great emphasis on community level
Solomon Atiga, Manager Presbyterian Agric Station-Garu
knowledge in relation to climate change and this would
thinks Project Direct holds a lot of hope for the farmers
promote land ownership.
especially the rural poor giving the devastating impact of
Partners from PAS-G designing their project activities
Zogilgo, one of the beneficiary communities under the ELCAP
The project hopes to educate over 4,000 small-scale
It also intends to share local Climate Change adaptation
women and men producers in four districts of Northern
models with districts and communities for wider replication
Ghana understand the impact of climate change on their
by the end of the three year project. The CRAFS follows a
lives and livelihoods in order to practise environmental-
successful implementation of the Enhancing Livelihood
friendly farming; as well as demonstrate climate sensitive
through Climate Change Adaptation and Learning Project
models of livelihoods.
(ELCAP) in Northern Ghana.
PARTNER INTERACTION
QUEEN MOTHERS SPEAK UP
AT A LAND RALLY FOR TRADITIONAL LEADERS
Ensuring that peasant farmers get land tenant security is a key component of the GROW campaign. In view of this, Civil
Society Coalition on Land (CICOL) a member of the GROW campaign organised a land rally to get all relevant parties to
dialogue on land governance.
President of Queen Mothers Association was worried about the situation where women mostly become victims but queen
mothers are sidelined when issues of land are raised
Some land regulations being handed to the queenmothers to assist them in arbitrations
The land rally follows CICOLs interventions in victims of
The Chief of Yeji and the President of Brong Ahafo regional
commercial land acquisition across the country using
house of chiefs didnt mince words in his attempt to justify
special cases in Zoogu in the North, Amantin in the Brong
their decision to sell land out to commercial farmers. He

explained that the small holder farmers are not ready to pay
The way the chiefs are selling the lands are

abhorring as they give out large chunk for peanuts
for the use of the land hence its profitable giving it to the
commercial farmers who take large portions, he added.
This was followed by a response from the Queen Mother of
Ahafo and Ofadaa in Central regions to get the dynamism
Agogo traditional area Nana Afrakoma who cautioned the
and the different perspectives on issues surrounding large
chiefs to beware of such practice. The way the chiefs are
scale land acquisition.
selling the lands are abhorring as they give out large chunk
for peanuts.
The chiefs were however advised that if they dont

guide against indiscriminate sales of lands, they will
one day become tenants on their own lands.
Nana Afrakoma, Queen Mother of Agogo Traditional Area

She pleaded that the chiefs acknowledge them in the

transactions so they can also suggest or give their advice.
The discussions and revelations that came out during the
engagement were very intriguing.
Traditional Leaders present at the land rally

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEASANT

STRUGGLE MARKED WITH RICE FARMERS
The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) under the GROW campaign commemorated the International Day of
Peasant Struggle (IDPS) with farmers from Ashaiman and Asotuare under the theme; 58 years of independent; call for food
Sovereignty not Food Security
Our source of seed

should be regulated to
get the right seeds for our
farming activities
The Day was marked to share
their plans and initiatives to
improve farmers access to
credit,
fertilizer
and
other
machinery. PFAG over the past

month has initiated discussions
with some financial institutions
and Accra compost to assist
their
members
to
access
flexible credit and organic

manure respectively.
A march to commemorate the IDPS at Ashaiman

The farmers from the discussion realised the need to

generate support from within as governments over the
years have disappointed them.
I believe we have to adopt our own way of tackling our
issues as peasant farmers because the law makers in this
country sometimes behave as if they dont even eat, a
disgruntled farmer questioned.
Our source of seed should be regulated to get the right
seeds for our farming activities, another farmer requested.
A march to commemorate the IDPS at Ashaiman

The rice farmers believe with the support of machinery

like power tillers and combine harvesters, the made in
Ghana campaign calling for patronage of local rice will be
more feasible as they will be able to produce more to cut
down on the excessive rice importation.
With the advancement of technology, we still cannot live
a life that merits the advancement of time due to harsh
agriculture and trade policies, our government should be
serious with agricultural sector and stop playing politics
with the sector; the National Coordinator of PFAG Victoria
Adongo remarked.
Victoria Adongo of PFAG leading the march on the IDPS celebration

at Ashaiman
AGRICULTURE HAS THE HIGHEST RETURNS

IN TERMS OF PRODUCTIVITY- ACEP EXE. DIR. STRESSED
The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) organized the
investments with special focus on improved extension
forum for various stakeholders to deliberate on responsible
services, input subsidy, agriculture mechanization, post-
investment for the oil revenue. This was to involve citizens
harvest management and access to credit and markets.
as well as create awareness on the oil money while soliciting

support for the agricultural advocacy campaign.
Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, the Executive Director of ACEP,

pointed out examples of some nations that were successful
The Oil4Agric Campaign has a goal of maximizing Ghanas
in using oil money for agriculture. He explained that Indonesia
oil wealth for economic development, improvement in
used oil money to facilitate green revolution, Malaysia used
the wellbeing of citizens and achievement of balanced
oil money for oil palm and forestry development, Chile used
development. The campaign is aimed at influencing
money from copper proceeds for successful development
three investment decisions for the use of oil revenues.
of salmon for export.
These areas include increase allocation to agricultural

9
Agriculture has the highest returns

in terms of productivity.
With an investment of 1 Ghana cedi
into Agriculture, feeder roads, and
health, the corresponding returns
are 16.8, 8.8, 1.3 Ghana cedis
respectively.
Despite these potentials of the
Agricultural sector, public expenditure
is 8.5%, lower than the minimum set
Maize Farmer
by Maputo Declaration, which is10 %;

he argued.
http://www.modernghana.com/news/599239/1/stakeholders-call-for-equal-distribution-of.html
BST CORNER
A budget tells your money where it should go;
otherwise you wonder where it went
- J. Edgar Hoover
A budget can be viewed as the amount of money an individual or organisation intends to generate and expend
for a given purpose over a period of time. When you prepare a budget, you are creating a plan to spend your
money and this will enable you determine whether your money is enough to do the things you need to do or not.
Budgeting is a very important aspect of a project and is relevant at every stage. At the planning stage, it helps
us determine whether there is enough money to complete the project or whether we are making the best use
of the money available.
When negotiating with donors, the budget enables us determine what we will do with the grant and
what we intend to achieve. At the implementation stage we need to compare our actual cost to the
budget. We can also use the budget to evaluate the project by determining whether the project
actually achieved what it set out to achieve.
10
OXFUN
For the past months there has been a

strong debate and social media presence
of the new Oxfam global campaign, Even it
Up. What at all does this campaign mean?
Well if only 80 people of the worlds richest
equals half of the people on the planet
then that is a big issue.
Even it Up is a campaign to raise this awareness and commit governments, companies and the
public to rise up and join Oxfam fight this canker. So we ask our partners and allies in Ghana to
gauge their opinion on what in their world constitutes inequality.
11
OXFUN
Here we go...
Hajia Alima Mahama,

Former Minister, Gender and Childrens Affair:
where there is differential treatment or
disparity between persons or two categories
of people, states, institutions to the
disadvantage of the other.
Moses Tampuri,
Project Coordinator PARED:
It is about leadership and power; the
difference between the haves and have nots.
It can also be the ability of some people to
hold assets like land and other vital items in
life to the detriment of others.
Lillian Bruce,
National Coordinator CICOL:
Its the imbalances muted towards men
and women using systems, procedures,
resources and time.
12
Benjamin Boakye,
Operations Manager, ACEP:
Its the extreme disparity in access to the
necessities of life. In a typical situation in a
country, the rich get richer and the poor get
poorer
Miriam Oyebisi,
Gender Desk Officer, PAS-G:
It refers to the disparities that exist
among people. Thus people enjoying
different levels of power, resource
ownership etc
Lois Aduamoah Addo,

Programmes Officer WiLDAF Ghana:
Inequality is when people are denied
equal opportunities to particular
resources based on various
discriminatory reasons.
CITIZENS ALERT
with Abdulkarim Mohammed, Active Citizenship Advisor
IMF BAILOUT & CSOs PLATFORM

Oxfam has been advocating for increased transparency and
2. Set transparency and accountability measures that address
accountability in how public funds, particularly extractive
underlying causes fuelling undisciplined public spending. Use
revenues, are prioritised and expended for pro-poor investments
the bailout as an opportunity to strengthen transparency and
in agriculture, health and education as part of a broader drive for
accountability by government institutions e.g. introduce a
enhanced Public Finance Management in Ghana through effective
Fiscal Responsibility Law to regulate fiscal decisions.
citizens participation. This drive became even more imperative as
3. Protect strategic pro-poor and pro-development spending.
Ghanas economic woes deepened in 2014. As part of the Active
The burden of a fiscal adjustment should not be placed
Citizenship program, we have undertaken consistent advocacy
over the shoulders of the most vulnerable, and already
aimed at influencing International Financial Institutions (IMF & WB)
underserved; nor should it be done at the cost of strategic
in Washington and Government of Ghana (GoG) officials in Accra.
investments on long term development.
4. Improve revenue collection, especially from large economic

Therefore the GoGs request in August 2014 for an Extended Credit
actors. This would imply not only generally addressing weak
Facility aka Bailout from the IMF was a welcome opportunity to
tax administration and doing a better job at tax collection,
mobilise CSOs to advocate for the priorities of citizens to define
but more specifically to focus attention on big payers such
what goes into such an agreement. A common voice was also
as extractives companies including better oversight of the
necessary to secure citizens interest because of the harsh
Ghanas National Petroleum Company (GNPC) and audits of
socio-economic experiences that previous IMF conditionalities
foreign oil companies.
meted out to Ghana and other countries. Oxfam thus supported

the formation of a CSOs Platform on the IMF Bailout with members
The IMFs agreement with the GoG was eventually sealed last April
comprising some of the leading CSOs in Ghana.
with some important advocacy wins as reflected in the agreement

document
(http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.
The Platform used various popular mobilisation strategies to
aspx?sk=42865). The agreement did take into account either
collate views culminating in a national event and a communique
partially or fully all the recommendations made. There are thus
copied to the negotiating teams in Ghana and IMF as well as the
good things about it to be celebrated, however, there are also
Presidents Office. Leading members also met the IMF country
issues that require further influencing (full analysis coming up
leadership and government officials both in Accra and DC to press
later).
home the interest of citizens.

In sum, the key areas were:
The next stage is the monitoring of the implementation of the

agreement and Oxfam has had commitments from IMF officials to
1. Make broad consultation with Ghanaian citizens an integral
maintain CSOs, particularly the Platform, as a key ally in doing this.
part of the package negotiation process. Build broad
The Platform has also decided to align its own monitoring to that
consensus on the measures being negotiated, and on how to
of the IMF.
fairly distribute their economic and social impacts.
We will appreciate your comments, suggestions and any feedback so reach the media and communications officer on nagyekum@
oxfam.org.uk or on twitter @naana_nkansah or on our face book page https://www.facebook.com/OxfamInGhana
13

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Quarterly Digest

GHQ002 - May 2015

(Even it Up, Inequality in the world)

OXFAM IN GHANA QUARTERLY DIGEST

Group discussions during the Oxfam Country Strategy workshop

At the end of the country

Clara Osei-Boateng of SEND Ghana making a

Photo Credit/ Naana Nkansah Agyekum/Oxfam

Making a little contribution

One of our partners expressed his opinion

OXFAM IN GHANA QUARTERLY DIGEST

Group assisgnment for participants at the OCS workshop

Regional Director, Aboubacry

Aboubacry Tall addressing the media on Oxfams Ebola response

The Regional Director granting interview to TV3

Photo Credit/ Naana Nkansah Agyekum/Oxfam

Photo Credit/ Naana Nkansah Agyekum/Oxfam

According to the Regional Director, Oxfam as an organisation

He emphasised that the poor health infrastructure in affected

has committed about 20 million to the Ebola emergency

countries; the fear surrounding the disease were some

case and classified it as category one. We are still not

factors that posed a huge challenge to the fight against the

done yet because we are also concern about the aftermath

of the epidemic, what happens to the three West African

countries? We need to continuously work hard to improve

their living conditions and livelihoods, he added.

We are still not done yet

Country Learning Review;

Accountability and Learning (MEAL) strategies

OXFAM IN GHANA QUARTERLY DIGEST

Partners having an energizer at the OCS

The process offered the country team a time to pause for a

The process offered the country team

new financial year.

Using evidence produced by

Engaging the media were helpful in

Networking strategically and

A section of partners at the OCS

Gender Training for Partners

change process and build

OXFAM IN GHANA QUARTERLY DIGEST

Apart from partners some key community members also

different now, she explained.

the community members in the past but the story is

to the Oxfam gender toolkit.

Friends of the Nation; It is

It is very useful as I have

OXFAM IN GHANA QUARTERLY DIGEST

Climate Resilient Agricultural

climate change with clear signs of floods, droughts and

and Food System (CRAFS) has the overall goal of fighting

storms. This project therefore requires total commitments

against poverty and effect of climate change by enhancing

of all partners to achieve the expected results, he

the livelihood security and capacity for adaptation

measures for the most vulnerable in Northern Ghana.

Augustine Liebo Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for

Partners in Rural Empowerment and Development (PARED),

Nandom Deanery Integrated Rural Development Programme

Nandom Deanery Integrated Rural Development Programme

(NANDIRDEP) has this to say: It is people centred and would

(NANDIRDEP) and Professional Network, North (ProNet North)

contribute to lessen the negative impact of climate change