Youth Engagement Officer Laments Over Decline In Civil Society Organizations Support

Youth Engagement Officer for EQWIP HUBS a Non- Governmental Organization, Master Adeola Onafuwa has lamented over the decline on the part of local investors to supports Civil Society Oorganizations (CSOs) and other non-govermental organisations as a great barrier to the fortunes of Ghana.

Majority of indigenous investors per his findings are unwilling to offer funding support to cushion the efforts of existing hubs whose objectives are pivoted around youth empowerment.

His assertion holds that Ghanaian investors are only focused on pushing the agenda of their self-established business empires and this according to Master Adeola has left several youth empowerment organisations and for that matter CSOs in a colossal pool of struggle due to the lack of funding.

Per the status quo, a hand full of existing CSOs he noted out of luck earns funding from foreign investors and that the execution of their mandate is even subjected to the dictate of the latter.

“Foreign organisations will only offer you funding that supports their interest and not that of our communities” he stressed.

Conditionalities attached to funding from foreign organisation he disclosed are so tight that only a limited number of CSOs end up being selected after the submission of their proposal.

Speaking exclusively to thepressradio.com in Kumasi, he averred that the above highlighted canker has barred several youth empowerment centered hubs and for that matter CSOs from expediting their role to the fullest, challenging that if local investors decide to shift their attention to the role played by CSOs by funding their activities, economic crisis confronting the youth in Ghana will be reduced drastically within the shortest possible time.

Master Adeola Onafuwa in his statement mentioned that though local hubs are doing amazingly, they still need financial support from local investors to touch the lives of deprived youth in the country.

He raised this call at at a youth empowerment event organised by facilitators of EQWIP HUBS in Kumasi.

Hubs who were identified as collaborators of the program were No Business as Usual (NBU), Kumasi HIVE, HAPPA SPACE and TUMI GHANA.

The purpose of the event according to Madam Jahdiel Watts, Volunteer Engagement Coordinator was to bring together all existing hubs so as to establish a strong collaboration among themselves.

EQWIP HUBs is a global partnership collaboration which seeks to offer entrepreneurship and employment training for young people especially women.

Youth through this initiative are brought together to gain relevant business skills and learn from mentors.

EQWIP HUBS has knowledge centres in Bolivia, Ghana, Indonesia , Peru, Senegal and Tanzania. Facilitators of EQWIP HUBS are on a mission to change the lives of 100 , 000 youth by 2020 .

Source: Thepressradio.com/ Enock Akonnor