On 8 August 2023, I embarked on a year-long journey internship with the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), aimed at enhancing my research skills while immersing myself in the …

The West Africa Civil Society Week which took place from 29 August to 31 August 2023 in Lagos, Nigeria brought together over 80 actors in the civil society ecosystem from …

In a world where knowledge reigns supreme, literacy emerges as the essential vehicle propelling individuals, communities, and entire nations towards progress and prosperity. September 8th, celebrated as International Literacy Day, …

Niger had its fifth instance of a coup d’état on July 26, 2023, marking a recurring pattern of political instability since attaining independence in 1960. This is the fifth coup …

Africa’s potential shines brilliantly, fuelled by the resilience and determination of its people. Yet, amidst this promise, a confounding paradox arises: How does a continent so acutely aware of its challenges …

In a world that often values quick fixes and instant gratification, the remarkable journey taken by the Wanderlust Ghana group serves as a powerful example of careful planning, unwavering determination, and a …

The recent military uprising in Niger has sparked a regional crisis, leading to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) urging the swift release and reinstatement of the legitimately elected President, …

The technological revolution in today’s global village has become an indispensable part of our existence. It has transformed how we communicate, obtain information, and interact with society.  Despite creating an …

In the wake of the coup in Niger, West Africa finds itself at a crossroads, facing a critical juncture that demands introspection and immediate action. The events in Niger should …

In West Africa, the potential of its young graduates holds the essential key to driving economic growth and fostering social development. Unfortunately, many of these talented individuals encounter significant obstacles …

“Being chosen as a research fellow fills me with thrill and excitement. This remarkable opportunity allows me to enhance my research skills and contribute significantly to the advancement of CSOs …

Who is a Gong-Gong Beater? In traditional Ghanaian society, the gong-gong beater is characterised as the official communication and information manager within a chieftaincy structure. This person is often unassuming, …

When we attribute certain beliefs and behaviours to “society,” it is essential to delve deeper and question who exactly we are referring to. Sociologist Peter L. Berger’s definition of society …

[Accra- 13 June] – Sierra Leone’s government says the West African country is ready to hold peaceful, free and fair elections come June 24, a news report by Ghana News …

Social media over the past few years has become an invaluable resource, especially for Africans and African organisations to tell their own diverse and dignified stories.    At other times in …

Is there more African non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can do to be more resourceful and less dependent on foreign philanthropists?   Decades of inequitable development, colonialism and political uprising have made the …

There have been resounding calls to make financial resources available to civil society organisations (CSOs) in West Africa. Embraced within the overall concept of ‘localisation of aid’, this remains an …

From 20 – 22 March 2023, a training on digital safety and security was held in Thinker Village-Monrovia, Liberia for 12 participants from 4 organisations. The training was organised by …

In theory, internships are supposed to serve as a platform for career growth for young graduates. Unfortunately, not all interns are able to see this theory become a reality.   …

Following the Covid-19 outbreak, civil society organisations (CSOs) in Ghana have been faced with a considerable decline in donor funding due to donors shifting their philanthropy efforts to countries which …

On the issue of gender equality in the workplace, when I see the words, ‘women are encouraged to apply’, I particularly feel happy, and this is why.  The fact that …

“Launching such an initiative [RINGO] was brave. The way it was done was participatory, it was fun, and it was insightful. And what came out of it already shows how …

In recent years, civil society organisations (CSOs) have faced numerous challenges in obtaining funds to support their activities due to financial crises, government regulations, poor economic conditions and most recently …

To quote the famous musician Drake in the song Poetic Justice “They say communication saves relations”. Every human relationship starts with communication of interests, wants or needs and the best …

For many years, civil society organisations (CSOs) depended on external funding to propel their activities and projects. With the rise in dwindling donor funding, CSOs are unable to get sufficient …

THE CHANGE WE WANT The change we want begins with us We can’t just rant without being just And make our communities feel lost Yes, they do depend on us …

I have seen for myself and on documentaries in the media how children beg for alms and others hawk on the roads of Accra. This is equally evident in other …

What comes to mind when you hear these phrases; giving for change, shift the power, community philanthropy, local giving, delocalisation of aid? To some people, these all fall under the …

The major role that international aid or public aid plays in the development agenda of French-speaking sub-Saharan African states cannot be overemphasized. For many years, international organisations have undertaken projects …

For decades, civil society organisations (CSOs) across Africa depended largely on foreign donors for their interventions and organisational sustainability. In 2020, a survey conducted by WACSI across six West African …

Over the last decade, countries and governments have made significant progress in mainstreaming gender, including parliamentary representation and inclusion. Regrettably, the national assembly in Nigeria is not aware of its …

African folklore is laden with a lot of moral lesson learning. Most African stories end with a moral lesson, which is a significant part of the African culture. These lessons …

As I stare on the notepad to write these few lines, my mind is blank, as blank as it was roughly two years ago in the year 2020, during the …

It was on one cold evening in Bawku, a town in the Upper East region of north Ghana, when I lost my darling brother. If his untimely demise had been …

“It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure”- Bill Gates. This article in accordance with the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) …

Microsoft for Nonprofits Program Changes – changes are coming to the Microsoft for Nonprofits program. Learn more about what this means for TechSoup members. Get Ready for the Next Evolution …

“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope … which can sweep down …

“Africa is poor! This is the biggest lie ever told in the 21st century. The truth is that Africa is the richest continent in the world in terms of resources. …

Bambili-Cameroon: 14 years old Water Heroine, Kewoh Cynthia Faith, donates 500Fcfa lunch money for the giant water project. She is a Form II student of the Cameroon College of Arts, …

“I’m writing my story so that people might see fragments of themselves”- Lena Waithe. Imagine stumbling on an inspiring story on Facebook on a development project carried out in your …

As you probably know all too well, every day comes with its ups and downs, whether we like it or not. Consequently, it can be easy for people to fall …

The Global Education Summit held in London, United Kingdom, a few weeks ago has come and gone, but the realities and the signposts for Nigeria’s education, development and peace agenda …

Sharing everything on social media is important. So go ahead and share it, if it is relevant enough to share it, then it is important enough for us to re-share. …

I possess no understanding of who sold us this lie in Cameroon (Africa), that creating NGOs and Foundations is an achievement. You are just leaving school and thinking of starting …

The world has changed since INGO’s became prominent actors on the global stage. The current model for INGO’s seems no longer fit for purpose. The Ringo Social Lab – Re-imagining …

Public policy is the biggest driver of change, and the people who implement policy are ordinary citizens. One area which is my daily bread and in which the public policy …

Diversity is the best thing that ever happened to humans. Diversity brings strength and with diverse ideas the strength is even stronger because everyone’s ideas can be an opportunity for …

On 5th June 2021, the Nigerian government put an indefinite ban on Twitter, restricting the social media platform from operating in the country just days after Twitter deleted tweets made …

Sub-Saharan Africa is a graveyard of numerous development projects. In almost every rural community in the region, there are legacies of botched attempts at “bettering the lives” of the locals—shattered …

CODACS’s action plan involved organising a campaign to reduce teenage pregnancy in identified communities within the Talensi and Bongo District in the Upper East Region. This constituted in identifying teenage …

“For every new challenge, I deliberately choose to turn it to my favour and rather use it as a tool for improvement,” Mabel Lum Shu, Programme Assistant, Next Generation Internship …

TEERE means change, or more generally impact. The choice of this word is to show the compelling and burning need for the transformation of lives in Northern Ghana in particular …

This article is part of a series that diagnoses the asymmetric positioning of the localisation agenda to the disfavour of actors in the global south. Read the first part – …

3rd June 2015 remains a dark day for Ghanaians. This sad day was marked by a deadly flood caused by heavy torrential rains and a ghastly fire explosion at a …

The year 2020 marked a turning point for many civil society organisations (CSOs) in West Africa. The COVID-19 pandemic affected the performance of these organisations in diverse ways, making it …

“Your voice is far reaching than your vision, so never let it be silent”. These are the words that were drumming in her ears in the middle of 2020. As …

Recently, I shared a couple of LinkedIn posts, and many people shared their impressions on what could have been improved or mentioned a couple of things that were wrong. Leveraging …

“I want to be a civil engineer,” she responded to her dad when he asked her what she wanted to become in future. “No! You cannot become an engineer. That …

As she lay in bed that Sunday evening, preoccupied with thoughts on what the future held for her after graduation, she got distracted by the beeping sound of her phone. …

I was born and raised in a country that discriminates against women in various aspects. I cannot claim to fully understand the struggles and challenges that women – especially African …

When COVID-19 hit  NORSAAC, a NGO working in Ghana, lost over 185,000 Cedis ($32,173 USD) from ActionAid Ghana and Tools for Self Reliance. It’s a substantial amount of donor income, which …

Gone are the days where people needed to rush from work to get home in time to listen to or watch the news bulletin at 6 pm. These days, with …

“If the misery of the poor be caused not by the law of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin” – Charles Darwin.   Security is vital to …

“The President hears a hundred voices telling him that he is the greatest man in the world. He must listen carefully indeed to hear the one voice that tells him …

I grew up in a village setting like millions across Africa do. Our village called Jinkfuin was and still is a typical African setting where you have a chief, you …

It would not be an understatement to confidently state that there is enormous potential in Africa’s regional economic integration and intra-African trade. Sadly, the continent is still heavily reliant on …

The issue of unemployment continues to be the most challenging development issue that most African leaders: if not all, do grapple with. In Ghana, where the population is largely considered …

While at the university, I constantly pondered over what the next move would be. I was not sure, yet I craved to get an opportunity that will help me to …

“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.” ― Nelson Mandela. These profound words of Nelson Mandela hold true for many young …

What is digital security and should civil society organisations be concerned? Technology and its use have over the years evolved into an almost inevitable tool in the work we do. …

A new research report from the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) and the Fund for Global Human Rights offers a comprehensive look at the concerning lack of collaboration between …

“People don’t read. They misinterpret expectations of calls for proposals. They develop their own calls and respond to it”, said the Civil Society Support Unit Manager STAR Ghana, Noshie Idissah. …

Popoola Adejoke Glory has gained new communication techniques that have helped her to win the satisfaction of her clients and colleagues. She has greatly improved her approach of communicating with …

As expected, several Side Events and Fringe Meetings at this year’s United Nations High Level Political Forum (HLPF), were focused on the Implications of Covid-19 and Government responses! These were …

Africa falls next in line after Asia, Europe and America to experience the scourge of the Covid-19 pandemic. In Cameroon, the first case was recorded on March 6, 2020 and …

Exactly a month ago, the Kenyan government announced the first case of COVID-19 at the sprawling Dadaab refugee complex located in northeastern Kenya, sparking panic among Non-Governmental Organisations offering humanitarian …

Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the world has witnessed a tumultuous couple of months. This pandemic has changed in diverse ways relations and interactions among community …

Most West African states recognise civil liberties in their legislation as an essential component of a strong and resilient democracy. However, in practice, West African states have been increasingly restricting …

Africa is no stranger to recent outbreaks and therefore has a foundation to combat the coronavirus, but more must be done to ensure the informal economy is included in a …

As Covid-19 begins to spread on the African continent, it is the moment for the Africa Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to lead. The Africa CDC was …

With the COVID-19 pandemic threatening to overwhelm much of Africa, companies on the continent must broaden their perspective. Instead of focusing on short-term returns for owners and investors, they must …

Since December 2019, the infectious disease COVID-19 has spread across the world. Africa has not been spared, but the delayed arrival of the virus on the continent has provided us …

Although institutions of international and regional integration have chalked up major successes in recent decades, they are hardly immune from internal and external challenges. In fact, both the health emergency …

Amongst ourselves as United World Ambassadors, we asked; ‘what is it that can be done practically during these moments of the COVID-19 crisis that the whole world is facing?’ In an …

These are a set of universal goals which seek to address social, environmental, economic and political challenges facing the world by 2030. By adopting the SDGs, countries have responded to …

Local Fundraising is a recurrent challenge for civil society actors in West Africa. Currently, traditional donors are seeing their funding mechanisms being disrupted due to the ongoing crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic …

The past decade has seen considerable changes in civil society dynamics in Africa, with reductions in traditional forms of funding. In the middle-income countries shrinking space for civil society has …

My names are Nji Mabih of Cameroonian nationality.  I was asked by a group of young people to write up a personal thought on the COVID -19 situation and this is what …

This article[i] is based on the findings of the social cohesion and reconciliation Index (the SCORE Index), a contextual and in-depth study conducted in 2016 and 2018 in Liberia by the Center …

“You’re joking, aren’t you, Tawakalit? I mean, why not contest for the position of Vice President, it’s better suited for a female.” I was standing to be elected the 28th …

Like many students in Burkina Faso, getting to the end of Carmelle Sergine Kabore school year, she was looking for an internship opportunity to gain practical experience. One day, she …

In the development sector, supported by the international aid architecture, the power scale is tipped in favour of organisations that have the right connections with aid bilaterals and multilaterals, and …

There is no better moment than now for civil society organisations (CSOs) to support the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). AfCFTA is about creating a unified …

Sustainability is probably the biggest threat facing civil society organisations (CSOs) today. In a recent report on CSO Sustainability Index for Sub-Saharan Africa, the United States Agency for International Development …

A proposal is a request in the form of a written document that describes a programme or project for which an individual or organisation is seeking funding to support. The …

Starting in November, you will notice that we have increased administrative fees for selected donation products on the Techsoup platform. We periodically review and adjust administrative fees to reflect the …

Today, I had my first class at the Utrecht Summer School, Utrecht, the Netherlands, where I am taking a course titled: A Real-World Perspective- Manage Your Business Abroad. I learnt …

In 1991, African journalists launched a call for media pluralism and independence by producing the landmark Windhoek Declaration. This led to the recommendation adopted under section 4.3 at the twenty-sixth session of …

 As stated on the Spain Exchange County Guide, about only 13% of the Ghanaian population speaks French. In other words, the level of literacy in French is very low. Although …

Ghana made great strides in achieving a significant number of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). For instance, according to UN-Ghana, the country performed creditably well in poverty reduction, access to safe …

Meetings are an essential part of the life of every organisation and your ability to run effective meetings with your management skills is a critical part of your success in …

This article is an opinion edition related to the Liberian society written by the operation team of the Center for Sustainable Peace and Democratic Development, the organisation implementing the Social …

This article is an opinion edition related to the Liberian society written by the operation team of the Center for Sustainable Peace and Democratic Development, the organisation implementing the Social …

In the fast-paced world, we live in now, it is imperative for civil society organisations to not only be abreast with the latest technological applications and tools, but also master …

In today’s world where technology makes it easier to reach out to a wider audience thereby growing existing networks and amplifying the visibility of any organisation, the Human Rights Advocacy …

In this technologically advanced era, every organisation needs effective information technology (IT) tools to efficiently accelerate its operations. Organisations that work to collect and document information have a dire need …

Technology has become an essential tool for development in recent times. For the development sector, it has helped to amplify various organisational impact, causes and connected like-minded organisations to work …

Special Attention Project (SAP) is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Ghana created in 2007 and has been operating since 2008. The organisation works to improve the lives of children with …

Street Children Project (SCP) Kumasi has been overwhelmed by the creditable increase in their organisations’ operational funds and support from the community it operates in, after applying the techniques and …

A democratic nation in which good governance, justice, fairness, and transparency thrive can only be built by the collective efforts of every member of the nation duly performing their role …

Child marriages are intense in low and middle-income countries. Some of the highest rates are found in Sub-Saharan Africa. West Africa has one of the highest rates of early and …

For decades, civil society organisations (CSOs) in Ghana have relied mainly on international donor funding for their financial sustainability. According to the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), financial sustainability …

The question of civil society’s sustainability cannot be explored without analysing the implications of financial resource factors for civil society organisations (CSOs). Acquiring the appropriate and adequate financial resources is …

On 1 November 2018, the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) and the Affinity Group of National Associations (AGNA) convened a consultative forum on Domestic Resource Mobilisation for Civil Society. …

In early 2018, a video went viral where a young boy in a relay race took over a baton and ran in the opposite direction. He ran so fast even the …

Having board members that are actively engaged in the mission and performance of the organisation is highly critical. However, keeping a board engaged requires work. For instance, a study of 200 …

Child marriage is the practice of parents marrying off their children under the age of 18, sometimes as young as 7 years old, because of tradition, culture, or financial issues …

Nigeria embraced democratic rule since 1999, but not until 2003 did she record her first female presidential candidates in Dr Sarah Jibril and Late Major Moji Obasanjo. Jibril, however, remains …

Six of us recently joined WACSI as interns. We are all excited about this opportunity because we are aware of the outstanding professional exposure we would be getting. We are …

We currently live in a dynamic world where people are constantly creating new innovations to find better ways of doing things. Thanks to these innovations, our world is witnessing a …

For decades, feminism has been a keyword that has influenced national and international agendas across the globe. The scope and specificities of its practice arouse prolonged arguments as to what …

There used to be a time when data was something only academics and statisticians had to worry about.  But in recent times, there has been an increased prioritisation of data …

A key driver of operational resilience and sustainability is the capability of civil society organisations (CSOs) to establish and cultivate effective boards. Board governance is an important ingredient to securing …

Having worked in the non-governmental and civil society sector for more than twenty years, one observation I can confidently state is that good administration system is a key part of …