“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” by Nelson Mandela.
We want to give children in the northern part of Ghana the gift of education to help them create a sustainable future for themselves.
One of Community Development and Empowerment Foundation’s (COMMDEF) objectives is to make education accessible for girls and boys in the Northern part of Ghana. We see it as an effective tool to promote sustainable growth for children, their families and the communities that we support.
COMMDEF therefore work with a network of local partners to ensure every child has access to education, especially in low resource communities. Our interventions are integrated, coupling instantaneous change for children alongside increasing the capacity of communities, teachers,
School management committees and leadership of parent-teacher associations to support sustainable, long term change.
Working to ensure children are safe, in school and learning sits at the heart of everything COMMDEF do.
We work on increasing access to education and more specifically on improving school attendance of girls by addressing access barriers and supporting the creation of a safe, inclusive and healthy learning environment. In addition, we assist with the rehabilitation and construction of schools to create conducive and safe teaching and learning environment.
OUR EDUCATION GOAL
To ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote learning opportunities
for all children
WHAT WE DO IN EDUCATION
BUILDING SCHOOLS
We build schools to ensure that our students (learners) have access to safe and secure learning environment where they can thrive.
Why Build Schools?
Children need quality learning environment.
Many rural areas (remote communities) in Central Gonja District have never had a school. Many children are unable to go to school across the seven (7) districts of the Savanna region of Ghana today simply because there are no schools for them to go to.
Every child deserves access to quality education and a safe and secure learning environment is essential for educational success. Education is one of the most important factors in eradicating poverty and is the building block of every society. We believe education is a fundamental human right, not a privilege of few.
We work with philanthropic institutions, communities and government agencies to build schools in rural areas (remote communities) and this sits at the heart of our education work. We completed the construction of the 'first-ever school' in Larigbani in December, 2022, one of the remote communities in the Central Gonja District in the Savannah region of Ghana.
TRAINING TEACHERS
Community Development and Empowerment Foundation (COMMDEF) works in partnership with the Savannah Regional Directorate of Education and the District Directorates of Education of the seven (7) districts of Savannah region to train teachers, circuit supervisors, and other education officials to enhance the quality of pedagogy in basic schools. Our comprehensive in-service teacher training program aligns with the new national curriculum of Ghana to enhance teachers’ use of child-centered, active learning approaches and their ability to create positive, inclusive, and gender-responsive learning environments.
Working with Savannah Regional Directorate of Education and district levels, we support improved approaches for teacher behavior change and professional development; introduce mentoring or coaching techniques to schools; develop and distribute age- and culture-appropriate reading and math materials; and train teachers and school leaders in curriculum development, school safety, gender-sensitive and inclusive instruction, formative/summative assessment, and improving time on task.
We have also trained 56 teachers of some basic schools in Central Gonja District to help children attain basic literacy and numeracy skills.
We also support improving early-grade reading and math skills by addressing the diverse issues that affect student learning. We also work with communities to increase public support and parental engagement in schools, as well as improving home and school learning environments.
FOSTERING PARENTAL AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Parental and community attitudes can often also hold back children's education, especially for girls from late primary-school age and upwards, stopping them from going to school or making them earn a living for the family instead of getting an education. COMMDEF programmes work with the community to improve the status of girls by shaping the gender norms held by young fathers and community leaders.
COMMDEF uses a variety of strategies to engage parents, community members, and local civil society organizations in addressing the gender-specific learning needs of girls and boys. Through participatory gender analysis and action planning, we support community members to identify and address the major barriers that prevent girls and boys from succeeding in their studies. Through training on leadership, gender equality, and child protection, we strengthen the ability of school management committee and Parent-teacher association executives (leaders) to influence school decision-making and to more effectively participate in their children’s education. Together with influential community members, school management committee and Parent-teacher association executives (leaders), we enhance opportunities for children to continue their learning outside of school by establishing community-based reading clubs and supporting reading at home.
INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES
To ensure the long term success of education we support schools which have inadequate teachers to find ways of paying teachers whose services have been engaged by the local communities and the school authorities by helping the communities grow their income. For example, we have provided school management committees with agricultural grants and technical support to develop businesses such as Groundnut and Rice farms where the profits made following harvest help to meet educational costs. In Central Gonja District in 2021 we set up 5 income generating initiatives in rural basic (primary) schools.
GIRLS’ EDUCATION
Enhancing girls’ access to high-quality education is a global priority that is articulated in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It is also a national priority in Ghana.
“There is no more valuable investment
than in a girls’ education.”
—Ban Ki Moon, secretary-general,
United Nations
Many girls, because of who they are or where they’re born, face unique challenges. Together, we will improve girls’ education. We work to improve access to education by removing barriers and creating safe learning spaces for girls.
At the community level, we work with parents, traditional and religious leaders to shift negative gender and social norms affecting education outcomes, increasing support for girls’ education and active participation in school. We work with Savannah regional and District Directorates of Ghana Education Service and school staff to improve the quality of teaching, strengthen supervisory capacity, and develop gender-transformative and inclusive policies.
INCREASING ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION FOR MARGINALIZED GIRLS
Our Education programs provide tailored solutions to children facing multiple barriers, especially girls to access education to acquire relevant skills, creating opportunities for positive transitions to secondary school and dignified livelihoods. Our integrated approach is based on extensive research on what works to increase marginalized girls’ access to education, improved learning outcomes, retention, and wellbeing.
We put girls at the center of our programs and build a supportive environment for them in the community and at school. At the individual level, COMMDEF helps girls develop their academic competencies alongside leadership and life skills, raising their confidence and voices. TARGET
Over the next five years, we will focus on delivering high-quality programs in the three outcome areas of quality education, girls' enrollment (access), retention, transition, improved learning outcomes and transition to Junior and Senior High Schools. We hope to reach over 5,000 children and over 1,000 teachers at the basic level by 2027:
- Ensuring more children especially girls have access to inclusive and quality education
- Improving the learning outcomes and holistic well-being of children
- Empowering more girls to rise above the barriers of gender-based violence and harmful practices
- Strengthening partnerships with civil society organizations, community-based organizations, international NGOs, and academic institutions for lasting social impact
- Creating safe and healthy schools and communities
We will reach every last girl through breaking all barriers to access, retention, quality and completion to get her educated. Free to lead her own life, speak her mind and determine her future.
FOCUS
Access
Increase the number of children who access Basic Education, with a particular focus on the most marginalised groups including girls and children with special needs
Quality
Improve the quality of public Basic Education
Retention
Increase the number of children who complete Basic Education by addressing the root causes of children dropping out of school, especially girls
Progression
Increase the number of young people who progress to further education to improve their livelihood prospects