Saboba (N/R), March 05 – The Saboba District Community Foundation has been inaugurated to mobilise the people of the area to take action in securing the future of the area by contributing their own resources to address their development needs.
The inauguration meant that the Saboba District Community Foundation had begun formal operations in the district, and had also become the second Community Foundation to be founded and inaugurated in the entire northern part of the country to contribute to improving the quality of lives in the area.
Madam Grace Wumbidin, Chairperson of the Saboba District Community Foundation, who spoke during the inauguration at Saboba in the Northern Region, said it was a paradigm shift from dependence on “What society can do for us to what we can give back to our community.”
The event was attended by traditional rulers, women groups, youth groups, community members, the Clergy and Imams, leaders of other settler groups, Secretary of Konkomba Youth Association among others.
Madam Wumbidin said efforts to establish the Foundation began in April, 2021 where several meetings were held to explain the concept, its aims and objectives and to seek community members’ buy-in since the Foundation was devoid of tribal and partisanship, which implied that everybody living within the territorial boundaries of the Saboba District was ultimately a potential member.
A Community Foundation is a registered independent public charity or a non-profit organisation voluntarily established by people living in a geographical area to contribute to improving the quality of lives in the area through pooling their financial resources, expertise, time amongst other resources.
Madam Wumbidin spoke about activities the Foundation had undertaken so far saying it collaborated with the Ghana Education Service to hold talks with 2021 Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) candidates on career guidance, assertiveness and confidence during the examinations.
She also mentioned activities planned for this year, which included working to reduce teenage pregnancy/nursing mothers among BECE candidates, outbreak of diseases related to insanitary condition, encourage regular self check ups, reduce unemployment through career guidance, and hold regular town hall meetings for duty-bearers to account to the citizenry.
She welcomed the people of Saboba to participate effectively in the functioning of the Foundation saying “Giving back to our community and developing it is our right and privilege. All must come on board and develop the Saboba District under the theme reviving the spirit of volunteerism to make our place of residence happier and healthy to live in.”
Mr Charles Nyojah, Chief Executive of Saboba District Community Foundation called on members of the community both home and abroad to help the Foundation to raise a seed fund of GHc200,000.00 saying “If 200 people make a donation of of GHc1000.00 each, the seed fund could be raised easily.”
Mr Habib Haruna, Chief Executive of PureTrust Foundation and the Country Project Leader of the Ghana Community Foundations Development Project said the dwindling donor support necessitated the need to explore, harness, mobilise and utilise local philanthropic resources through the promotion of active citizenship to complement what government and other development partners could provide hence the need to sensitise community leaders to establish Community Foundations.
The Pure Trust Foundation LBG in partnership with Charles Stewart Mott Foundation from USA in the year 2020 began efforts to promote the establishment of Community Foundations in the country.
Mr Haruna said “I am glad to report that together with our local implementing partner Ghana Philanthropy Forum, since inception of Ghana Community Foundations development project in the year 2020, the Community Foundation concept has been introduced to 55 communities in Ghana.”
He said 23 of the communities across the country were at the moment working to establish functional Community Foundations, 10 of the number were legally incorporated with four inaugurated so far.
He added that “More than GHc97,000.00 of local funds have been mobilised by the respective Community Foundations to fund their incorporation and start-up resources. Community members have also donated in-kind items and their expertise to their communities.”
Mr George Bingrini, District Chief Executive for Saboba, whose speech was read on his behalf by Mr Haruna Abdulai, Saboba District Coordinating Director, said the inauguration marked the beginning of “Our commitment to collaborate in protecting the future of our towns by establishing a shared community to leverage local philanthropic knowledge, and volunteer resources to support development activities in our communities.”
He described the Foundation as a life-changing intervention calling on all to support it to grow by devoting part of their resources into its activities.
The Paramount Chief of Saboba Traditional Area, whose speech was read on his behalf by Ubor Tagme Majoiba, Chief of Kimoatek, wholeheartedly embraced the Foundation saying that was the way to go to help solve immediate challenges affecting the District.
Meanwhile, a nine member Board of Directors of the Saboba District Community Foundation was sworn into office to support the management of the Foundation.
Also, during the event, a number of community members made cash donations to the Foundation to support its operations.
