FondationBotnar, a Swiss philanthropic foundation, on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 participated in a townhall meeting held for the youth and the New Juben South Municipal Assembly (NJSMA) in Koforidua, Eastern Region of Ghana.
The townhall meeting was a platform for the youth of the municipality to hear the activities of the assembly and for the authorities to pick feedback from the youth on further issues to be addressed.
The exercise, which was highly patronised, with funding from Fondation Botnar, is aimed at enhancing youth participation in governance and empowering them to help in the development of the municipality.
The aim of the townhall meeting aligned with what FondationBotnar is known for, and thus participated as a funding partner to the New Juben South Municipal Assembly, through its partners like the Star-Ghana Foundation, Kofkro.
Through its thematic areas, FondationBotnar works to improve the wellbeing of young people living in growing cities around the world.
By supporting innovative initiatives and bringing partners from across sectors to enable youth voices, FondationBotnar is in the NJSMA with its Our City Project.
The town hall meeting was on the theme: “Promoting civic engagement, role of the youth in development.”
ADDRESSES
In a brief message, Partnerships Coordinator for FondationBotnar, Zur Oren, said the forum was an opportunity for him to witness the engagement between the municipal authority and the youth.
He informed the youth that it is important for them to fully participate in making the municipality great by brainstorming homegrown solutions and supporting the authority to implement them.
Zur was particularly happy that the working relationship that commenced two years ago was manifesting physically, benefiting the youth and people of Koforidua.
The Portfolio Manager of Star Ghana, Raymond Danso, said the event was a partnership forum that allowed for idea sharing that encourages youth participation in the development of the municipality.
He said Star Ghana was open for innovative solutions to grow the assembly and assured the gathering that their collaboration would continue further.
The Municipal Coordinating Director of the Assembly, Edward Abazing, welcomed participants to the meeting and specially commended the youth for taking keen interest and attending in their numbers.
He expressed appreciation to FondationBotnar for the partnership, adding that the forum enabled the assembly to account to the people and also hear their concerns.
The Municipal Chief Executive of the Assembly, Isaac Appaw-Gyasi, recalled his trip to Romania, courtesy of FondationBotnar.
According to him, his experience enlightened his understanding about youth participation in development. He commended the Star Ghana Foundation and FondationBotnar for their support of the assembly.
He made a PowerPoint presentation of the activities the assembly had undertaken, which set the tone for an open forum.
OPEN FORUM
The Assembly was commended by Edmund Duodu, a youth, “for the participatory governance system,” saying it encourages their voices to be heard, as the youth feel involved in every scheme of affairs.
Stephen Asante Tetteh, another youth, urged the assembly to intensify security, especially as Ghana heads to a general election to elect a new president and parliamentarians on December 7, 2024.
He also highlighted that the assembly faced issues with water and appealed that measures were taken to address that problem. A student from Oti Boateng Senior High School appealed to the assembly to help construct a dining hall for her school.
The MCE took time to respond to the several questions from the youth. He assured that the assembly had put measures in place to ensure that the municipality was always safe. He added that the security agencies were capable of protecting the assembly and there was no cause to feel insecure.
Responding to the issue of water, the MCE admitted that the assembly faced a challenge and the immediate remedy was to construct a borehole, which he appealed to Star Ghana to come to their aid.
CYBERSECURITY
The meeting ended with a session on cybersecurity, where the youth were educated on how to combat misinformation and disinformation.
Inviting the Cybersecurity Authority to speak to the youth, Dr. Ernestina Korliki-Tetteh said October was a cybersecurity month and Ghana had taken part in sensitising its people.
The officials from the Cybersecurity Authority advised the youth to prioritise fact-checking, among others.
