September 12, 2025 In Newsroom By WACSI
Social Accountability Training Yields Results in Ghanaian Communities
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[30 August 2025 – Ghana] – From July to August 2025, the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) carried out follow-up coaching visits with partner organisations in the Eastern and Greater Accra regions of Ghana.
The exercise was a continuation of the Social Accountability Training held in Kumasi, Ghana, from 6 to 10 May 2024.
The coaching visits, carried out on July 24, 28 and 31, and 4 August 2025, aimed to assess progress since the training, document successes, and co-create solutions tailored to each organisation’s needs.
Four partner organisations: Network for Community Development and Advocacy (NETCODA), Mihoso Foundation, Orthopaedic Training Centre (OTC), and the Vulnerable Aid Organisation (VAO)—shared how the training had shaped their strategies and deepened their engagement with communities and government institutions.
Group Picture from visit to NETCODA
In the Kwaebibirem Municipality, WACSI engaged with NETCODA, a standout example of effective community-led resource mobilisation.
Since the training, NETCODA has mobilised over GHS 280,000 from households, traditional authorities, local businesses, and the diaspora to construct a maternity ward in Abaam, where women previously delivered babies on unsafe journeys to distant health facilities.
“When we met as a community, we realised that if we wanted change, we had to make it ourselves. The maternity ward topped the list of our priorities,” said Honourable Ophelia Chiwa Ampau, an Assemblywoman and NETCODA member.
Honourable Ophelia Chiwa Ampau, Assembly Woman for Abaam in the Eastern Region, and NETCODA member.
Beyond infrastructure, NETCODA has organised seven community engagement sessions on education and health, coordinated meetings, and supported assembly members with capacity-building. Persistent challenges include limited resources, weak communication between assemblies and communities, and accountability gaps.
In the Kintampo South District, WACSI visited the Mihoso Foundation, which works with people living with mental health conditions. As part of the visit, the team also engaged with the Social Welfare Unit of the Nkoranza North District, where Mihoso collaborates with the Busunya Polyclinic mental health unit.
Group Picture with Mihoso and the team from the Social Welfare Unit of the Nkoranza North District
With support from the district assembly and social welfare, Mihoso has supported 800 individuals with epilepsy and mental health conditions to obtain and renew their National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards free of charge. This initiative has reduced financial barriers, enabling access to essential healthcare services and strengthening social protection for vulnerable groups. Through this collaboration, vulnerable groups are now included in the district’s development planning and benefit from the Disability Common Fund.
“In the past, the district didn’t capture persons living with mental health disabilities and challenges but after engagement with Mihoso Foundation, we have started capturing them and providing support for them,” said Nana Pomaa Asante Ameyaw, Social Welfare Unit Head at Nkoranza North District.
Nana Pomaa Asante Ameyaw (right), Social Welfare Unit Head at Nkoranza North District
This partnership has raised awareness of rights, strengthened accountability mechanisms, and given marginalised communities a stronger voice in local governance.
In Nsawam, OTC has adopted more deliberate social accountability approaches since the training. These include annual community meetings, publishing reports and budgets online, and engaging with parents and local government institutions such as the Social Welfare Department and the Nsawam Government Hospital.
“Before this training, we worked with community members but didn’t really involve them in holding us or state agencies accountable.
However, after training, we have applied the knowledge we gained in community engagement to enhance our work and inform our strategy, which is grounded in a community-based approach,” said Eleazer Kissi Asante from the Orthopaedic Training Centre.
Group picture at OTC
The training helped OTC strengthen its community-based engagement strategies, resulting in practical outcomes, including 11 children with disabilities gaining access to mainstream schools. The Centre now works closely with school authorities and parents to address stigma and assert the rights of children with disabilities to education and equal participation.
WACSI also visited the office of the Vulnerable Aid Organisation (VAO) in Accra. VAO’s main area of implementation, however, is the Nkwanta South District in the Oti Region. Before the training, VAO often responded reactively to community requests. The training shifted their focus to empowering communities to engage duty bearers directly.
For example, VAO had been exploring ways to address water supply challenges. They now facilitate training for community members to understand their rights and demand accountability from government agencies responsible for water provision and maintenance.
“We used to go to the aid of the communities when called. However, now we engage the assemblies and other government agencies to find out how they can support,” said Mr Tsakpa William, Executive Director of VAO.
This shift has reduced dependency on VAO and strengthened collaboration between communities and assemblies.
Group picture with Vulnerable Aid Organisation
These follow-up visits highlight the practical outcomes of WACSI’s training and underline the importance of sustained support for CSOs. The Social Accountability Training is part of the Change the Game Academy training series, an initiative funded by Wilde Ganzen.
Through this initiative, WACSI continues to strengthen the role of civil society in advancing accountability, inclusive governance, and improved service delivery across Ghana.
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