April 15, 2026 In Newsroom By WACSI
Comic Relief Delegation Cites Gains from Locally Led Development Model in Northern Ghana
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[Tamale, Ghana – 10 April 2026] – A senior official from Comic Relief is excited that local organisations in northern Ghana are demonstrating strong results from a shift towards community-led development, following a visit to assess a UK-backed funding programme.
Tania Cheung, Head of Shift the Power at Comic Relief, visited Tamale, in northern Ghana, on 31 March after attending a continental youth debate at the Parliament of Ghana.
The visit formed part of the Civil Society Strengthening Fund (CSSF) under the Shifting the Power Programme, which supports locally led development initiatives.
Cheung met partners, including Regional Advisory Information and Network Systems, commonly known as RAINS, and My HereAfter Ghana, alongside implementing organisations, the West Africa Civil Society Institute and STAR-Ghana Foundation.
She said the organisations have demonstrated significant impact in delivering services and strengthening community systems.
“Both RAINS and Hereafter Ghana are truly inspirational in their own right, supporting tens of thousands of people living in northern Ghana, often through really innovative and low-cost initiatives,” Cheung said.
At RAINS, executive director Hardi Tijani said the programme had changed how the organisation operates, moving it towards stronger community ownership and improved internal systems.
“We have moved away from a project delivery mindset toward a model of genuine community leadership and co-ownership,” Tijani said. “Shifting power for us is no longer just internal. We have ensured that there are community structures that take leadership in the work that we do.”
Staff said the changes have improved project design and relevance.
“It enhances the relevance of the projects. With community engagement, you get their needs and factor that into the design of the project. It gives you their buy-in, and they feel a part of the project, not just something done to them,” said Justice Awen-natey Atim.
Across the city, My HereAfter Ghana reported expanded health and education outcomes, including enrolling more than 8,000 people in Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme and supporting children with healthcare and school supplies.
Cheung highlighted the low cost of some interventions, saying, “It takes just one dollar to support a child with health insurance for a year, and that means that child can grow up healthy and strong with just that intervention.”
Executive director Alimatu Sadia Nuhu said the programme differs from traditional short-term funding models.
“This is different from other project-based programmes. Connect with partners so you can table your needs for long-term capacity strengthening,” she said.
Both organisations said they had strengthened internal systems, including monitoring, evaluation and communications tools, but warned that organisational change takes time.
Organisational change processes and shifting power take time. Any action bringing change cannot be looked at with a project mindset,” one RAINS staff member said.
Cheung said the visit reinforced the case for long-term investment in local organisations.
“This is really showing the impact of supporting organisations to strengthen in line with their own vision for the future. That has a multiplier effect because if they are stronger and more sustainable, they can support their communities for many more years to come,” she said.
The Shifting the Power Programme is funded by Comic Relief and the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and implemented in Ghana by WACSI and STAR-Ghana Foundation.
Watch the video of the visit here.
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