Healthy Cities for Adolescents: GLOMEF Launched GBP 300000 Project

Global Media Foundation and its primary partners, Indigenous Women Empowerment Network and Citizens Watch Ghana have launched its GBP 300000 new project dubbed: Resilient City for Adolescents in Sunyani, the Bono Regional capital.

The 36 months’ project being funded by Fondation Botnar through Ecorys UK seeks to ensure that adolescents are empowered socially, politically and economically to be active citizens, who demand for their rights, create jobs and actively engage in decision-making processes at the city level.

The project adopts a three-pronged approach in regard to social, political and economic empowerment. This involves identifying and addressing adolescents’ needs, both social and economic; increasing adolescents’ inclusion and participation in city-level planning and development; and ensuring sustainable access to quality services targeting education, health, security, job creation and the environment. is aimed at improving the lives of adolescents in intermediary

Launching the project in the presence of over 100 key stakeholders’ in Sunyani city, the Founder and CEO of Global Media Foundation, Raphael Godlove Ahenu Jr said the Resilient City for Adolescents project falls under the Botnar Foundation’s Healthy Cities for Adolescents (HCA-II) initiative aimed at improving the lives of adolescents in intermediary cities in the global south.

According to Mr Ahenu Jr, the world has more young people than at any time in history and yet far too many of today’s 1.8 billion adolescents and youth will fall short of their potentials if current policy and investment approaches fail to meet their needs. 

“Youth and adolescent voices must be at the centre of decision-making processes for their own health and well-being, their empowerment and resilience, their education and skills, and their connection with people and the planet”, he stressed.

He said city authorities demonstrating their commitment to ensuring that adolescents who are in the crucial phase of their lives are provided with the right environment to grow and become useful adults are very paramount.

According to Mr Ahenu, the project will be implemented by a consortium of partners namely Citizens Watch Ghana, Indigenous Women Empowerment Network as primary partners and Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service, Catholic University of Ghana, Fiapre, National Youth Authority, Sunyani Municipal Assembly, Sunyani West Municipal Assembly, Ghana Enterprise Agency, Ghana-India Kofi Anna.

This grant aligns with the 'Healthy Cities for Adolescents' initiative - a project resonating with the urgent needs of our time. It stretches its arms across continents, touching intermediary cities from Colombia to Ghana, Vietnam to Ecuador, Senegal to India aiming to uplift and foster adolescents’ health and well-being

 The project adopts a three-pronged approach in regard to social, political and economic empowerment. This involves identifying and addressing adolescents’ needs, both social and economic; increasing adolescents’ inclusion and participation in city-level planning and development; and ensuring sustainable access to quality services targeting education, health, security, job creation and the environment. is aimed at improving the lives of adolescents in intermediary