PREVENTING VIOLENT EXTREMISM BETWEEN FAMERS AND HERDERS
Unhealthy competition between farmers and herders for suitable land for cultivation and grazing and access to water bodies around Gushegu, Saboba and Nanumba-North districts of the Northern Region led to recurrent violent conflicts between Farmers and Fulbe Herders communities. The situation often resulted into deaths and vandalization of properties, leading to mutual suspicion and mistrust. The project, between Octobers 2023 and June 2024, established enduring peace and inclusive neighborliness between the two groups in 12 communities. The project was funded by the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the US Embassy in Ghana.
UPSCALING OF PREVENTING VIOLENT EXTREMISM AMONG FULBE HERDERS AND CROP-FARMERS PROJECT
Based on the success and impact in the first intervention, it was upscaled to 12 other communities in three other districts in May 2024 to January 2025. The districts were: Tatale-Sangule (Nachamba No.2, Nakpali, Kpalbutabu and Bekpanjibi); Yendi (Nagani, Pansiya, Zagbang and Wambong); Karaga (Zankali, Nyong, Pishigu and Shebo). This second intervention was funded by USAID/OTI/LRI. As in the first intervention, this second one also to establish enduring peace and inclusive neighborliness between the two groups.
RESPONSIBLE HOSTING OF POLITICAL RADIO TALK SHOWS/ NEWSPAPER REVIEW AND TOLERANCE IN ELECTION 2020 IN THE NORTHERN REGION
This project was implemented under the auspices of Electoral Violence Monitoring, Analysis and Mitigation (EMAM), led by WANEP Ghana and funded by the European Union in 2020. The project addressed the irresponsible reportage by some media houses during elections. The project increased the knowledge and skills of 25 radio talk show and newspaper review hosts in ethical broadcast journalism and responsible radio hosting and presenting before the 2020 general elections.
GHANA’S STRENGTHENING ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM (GSAM)
GSAM was in response to Ghana’s governance and accountability challenges that have included (1) dysfunctional decentralization, (2) inadequate availability of accessible MMDA planning and budget information, and (3) inadequate mechanisms and processes for social accountability. GSAM was a seven-year project (2016-2022) under the auspices of a Consortium – CARE (as the lead), OXFAM and ISODEC – together with the Ghana Audit Service (GAS), and in collaboration with 100 participating Metro/Municipal/District Assemblies and 25 Civil Society Organization (CSOs). It was funded by the USAID. The project improved citizens’ oversight of capital development projects as well as transparency and accountability in capital project delivery in the 7 communities in the Tolon District of the Northern Region.
COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT AND EDUCATION PROJECT (CHIEP)
The project was implemented in 80 communities in two districts of the Northern Region. The districts were: Tamale Metropolis (40 communities) and Karaga district (40 communities). The project used the social and behaviour change communication approach to enlighten the communities, especially women of reproductive age on complementary feeding from six months; hand washing with soap; malaria prevention through sleeping under LLINS use; ORS to treat diarrhoea and report to the nearest health facility; open defecation, free birth registration; early/child marriage; skill delivery; positive discipline; routine immunization; early enrolment and retention. The project reached 9,600 women, men, traditional birth attendants, and others such as parents and youths to adopt the desired attitudes and behaviours.
ADVOCACY FOR GENDER RESPONSIVE AGRICULTURE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT (MAGRAD)
Under the USAID’s Agricultural Policy Support Project (APSP), RUMNET implemented a project in 2013 dubbed ADVOCACY FOR GENDER RESPONSIVE AGRICULTURE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT (MAGRAD). The project was to eliminate barriers to the meaningful participation of women-farmers in agricultural development which the Ghana Food and Agriculture Sector Development Policy hardly addressed at the time. The project brought to the fore the growing role of women- farmers as producers of food, traders and family caretakers. The project enhanced the capacity of 50 women-farmers in five communities in the Northern Region to engage policy-makers to respond to their special needs in agricultural credit accessibility, education and extension services, technology and marketing. It also increased information and evidence on the special needs of women-farmers in agriculture sector development to policy makers, the media and other advocates.
SEXUALITY EDUCATION AND FAMILY PLANNING
The project was implemented in five communities in the North Gonja district of the Northern Region from 2014 to 2015.This project addressed the relatively low use of Family Planning methods in the Northern Region, as a result of cultural, religious, psychological and economic factors. It promoted the prevention of unintended pregnancy through contraceptives and comprehensive sexuality education. It reached 5,800 women, including adolescents, with information and sexuality education on the essence of family planning and the importance of contraceptives.
MEDIA ADVOCACY ON SUSTAINABLE NATURAL RESOURCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE
This project started in September 2009 and ended in July 2010. It monitored and held government /duty bearers accountable to the policies on Natural Resource and Environmental Governance (NREG) by investigating and serializing the findings on the implementation of forestry and wildlife, mining and environment programmes in the Northern Savannah Zone in The ADVOCATE (RUMNET’s development –oriented newspapers) It also produced a video documentary on desertification titled “The Looming Desert”. It influenced government agencies responsible for biodiversity to be more proactive.
Radio AMANA
began as a weekly radio magazine programme in 2008. It educated and informed over 6,000 listeners in 54 communities, enabling them to freely express their views, opinions and desires for the attention and action of the local government authorities. It was later established as a community radio station in 2016 and continued to disseminate community development programmes till 2023.
The ADVOCATE
between 2002 and 2017, RUMNET published a monthly development-oriented newspaper called THE ADVOCATE. It brought to the fore and notice of policy and decision-makers, the plight and potentials of deprived communities, and the impact of state policies on communities- for possible review. It monitored the impact of government policies and programmes in specific communities in the Northern Region and published the outcomes for the attention of the respective agencies. Funded by ActionAid Ghana and REWARD.
CITIZENS’ PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE
Imparted media engagement, lobbying, public speaking and community mobilization skills to 54 Assembly members of the Savelugu-Nanton District. The training improved their ability to present the demands of their electorates effectively to the Assembly. RUMNET developed a manual on Community Mobilization for Assembly members.
MEDIA ADVOCACY FOR SUSTAINABLE NATURAL RESOURCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE (2003)
Increased the participation of 25 communities in the governance and management of their natural resources; monitored and held government /duty bearers accountable to the policies on Natural Resource and Environmental Governance (NREG).
CITIZENS ENGAGEMENT IN SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Enabled 20 communities in the Savelugu-Nanton District to acquire the evidence to evaluate and improve on the delivery of basic education and provision of health insurance services.
MEDIA FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE
Enhanced the skills of 45 media personnel in the three Northern Regions in Advocacy Journalism and good Election Reporting-in a series of training
CAMPAIGN AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Behaviour change communication campaign that reduced violence against women in Builpela, a suburb of Tamale.
PEACE MEDIA
Improved the knowledge and skills of 60 journalists in peacebuilding and conflict sensitive reporting in the three regions of the north
CAMPAIGN FOR BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
Improved biodiversity conservation in 75 communities in the Upper West, Upper East and Northern regions.
ENERGY CONSERVATION CAMPAIGN
The campaign influenced over 1,000 women to use energy-conserving stoves and cooking methods that reduced the use of wood fuel to save the forests.
