Participatory Action for Rural Development Alternatives - PARDA

05/04/2026

*Strengthening Justice & Accountability: PARDA Hosts Regional Multi-Stakeholders' Meeting on SGBV!*
Yesterday, March 26th, 2026, PARDA through the Power to Choose (P2C) project with funding from through held a regional multi-stakeholders' meeting in Walewale to review our progress in the fight against S*xual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
Bringing together 37 key stakeholders—including Chiefs, Traditional and Religious Leaders, CSOs, the Judiciary, DOVVSU, GES, GHS, NCCE, CHRAJ, and the Media—this meeting served as a vital platform for accountability and collective action in the fight to minimize the incidence of SGBV.
✨ Key Milestones Achieved in FY26:
Our project overview revealed a powerful shift in community trust in state institutions and legal action.
📈 Breaking the Silence: Reported SGBV cases to the municipal DOVVSU have surged from 13 cases with 7 prosecutions (April 2024 to March, 2025) to 43 cases this year (April 2025-March 25th, 2026).
⚖️ Increased Justice: Prosecutions have more than doubled, with 16 cases successfully prosecuted and 25 currently under investigation. This data proves that our awareness efforts are empowering survivors to seek justice.
🚧 Facing the Challenges Together:
While we celebrate this progress, our stakeholders engaged in a "real talk" session to identify the barriers that still remain:
🏠 The urgent need for Safe Shelters for survivors.
💰 The high cost of medical examination forms for survivors and logistical constraints for state institutions.
⚖️ Delays in the justice system and a lack of privacy for survivors to report their cases.
🚫 Interference from traditional authorities, families of survivors and political figures in SGBV cases.
The Verdict:
Our stakeholders expressed deep gratitude to PARDA and Oxfam in Ghana for the impact of the Power to Choose Project while calling for an upscale of the project to more communities within the region.
PARDA remains committed to protecting the rights of the vulnerable and marginalized ensuring that through the Power to Choose Project, "they have the right to choose right"✊






.

02/04/2026

On the 27th of March 2026, PARDA, in collaboration with Children Believe (CB) Commissioned and handed over an Early Childhood Development (ECD) Facility for the Chaina-Asunia community in the Kassena - Nanaka West District in the Upper East Region. The Chaina-Asunia community is part of the Builsa Kasena Child Development Program area. The facility, which is part of the FY26 deliverables, has been equipped with age-appropriate furniture and TLMs to serve about 65 children and their instructors. This is more than a building; it's a safe space for learning, growth, and brighter futures for our youngest learners from Asunia and five other communities in the area. A special thank you to Mrs. Esenam Kavi De Souza, the Country Director for Children Believe and Dr. Michael Wombeogo, the Executive Director for PARDA, for officially cutting the tape to commission the project and handing it over to the community and Ghana Education Service.
Also, a very big thank you to all the dignitaries who graced the occasion, the District Chief Executive for Kassena Nanakana West, the Kasena Nankana West District GES Director, the regional Director of education representative, the Upper East Regional Minister representative and the paramount chief of the Chiana Traditional Area and his entourage. Together, let's continue to invest in the future of our children.
Ghana in Ghana Education Service

08/03/2026

Today we celebrate the women who wake before the sun, work the land, nurture families, and hold entire communities together.
Rural women are not just strong they are unstoppable.

Happy International Women’s Day to the backbone of our communities. Your strength feeds the future.

06/03/2026

*Redefining Masculinity for a Brighter Future!* 🌟
PARDA is proud to have organized a transformative training session on Positive Masculinity for adolescent boys and young men within the Power to Choose (P2C) project communities in West Mamprusi Municipality as part of our efforts to shifting harmful patriarchal norms in the Municipality and across Northern Ghana.
During the session, participants explored critical topics, including:
✅ Understanding S*x vs. Gender
✅ Breaking down Socially Constructed Gender Norms
✅ Identifying and preventing Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
✅ Peacebuilding and effective Communication Skills
By redefining what it means to be a man, these young people are stepping up as true agents of change who will be advocating for, and paving the way for a more equitable and peaceful society. Indeed, a man’s strength is not defined by dominance, but by his capacity for peace and equality and together, we are shifting the narrative!

​

06/03/2026

*Listening, Reflecting and Taking Action for our Youth!* 🗣️
Between February 19th and March 3rd, 2026, the Power to Choose (P2C) project team from PARDA visited all ten (10) project communities—Wulugu, Diani, Zangum, Wungu, Nayorku, Zangu-vuga, Nabari, Gbimsi, Nasia and Gbani—to host deep-dive Focus Group Discussions.
The discussions brought together a powerful coalition of community level stakeholders and voices, including:
Chiefs, Religious Leaders, Teachers, Health Workers, Assembly Members, Parents, PWDs and Community Change Agents.

*The Reality Check:*
These communities are facing tough challenges. From rising teenage pregnancies and substance abuse to peer influence and the lure of premature financial independence leading to school dropouts, the message was clear: It is time for a change.

*The Way Forward:*
There is a unified call for stricter community by-laws and better parental guidance which PARDA is committed to supporting these stakeholders as they organize community durbars to turn these recommendations into reality.
Together, we are protecting the future of our young people!

22/01/2026

Women Empowered Through Catfish Farming:

PARDA, through the Builsa–Kasena Child Development Programme (BKCDP) in partnership with Children Believe (CB), has empowered 68 households in the Kasena Nankana West District through catfish farming using plastic tanks and Tapoli ponds. This initiative has contributed to increased household income and nutrition, improved food security and savings, and strengthened women’s economic independence and collective action.
The initiative has also resulted in successful harvests, enhanced skills in aquaculture management, reduced household vulnerability, improved decision-making power for women, and the creation of sustainable local livelihood opportunities within the community.
This initiative clearly demonstrates that with the right empowerment and sustained support, women can thrive in economic activities such as fish farming. PARDA remains committed to promoting gender inclusivity through livelihood empowerment, recognizing that economically empowered women are key drivers of lasting community peace.

17/01/2026

PARDA, in partnership with Coginta and with funding support from the European Union, organized a social inclusion training on 16th January 2026 as part of its peacebuilding project. The training brought together security personnel from the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, and Ghana Fire Service, as well as opinion leaders, health professionals, media practitioners, Fulbe community stakeholders, and youth representatives.
The session provided a platform for participants to deepen their understanding of social inclusion and to engage in constructive discussions on strengthening social cohesion and peaceful coexistence within communities.
PARDA extends its sincere appreciation to the Upper East Regional Peace Council, the Fulbe Community, the Ghana Health Service, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service, and the Ghana Fire Service for their commitment, collaboration, and dedication to promoting peace.
for development

22/10/2025

22/10/2025

PARDA Launches New Project in Upper East Region

On Friday, October 17, 2025, Participatory Action for Rural Development Alternatives (PARDA) officially launched its new project - Promoting Resilience in Citizens-Led Accountability and Performance (PRICLAP) at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Center in Bolgatanga.

The PRICLAP Project seeks to strengthen citizens’ capacity to demand and enjoy improved public service outcomes across 50 communities within the Bolgatanga Municipality, Kassena Nankana Municipality, Kassena Nankana West, Bongo, and Nabdam Districts in the Upper East Region of Ghana.

The launch brought together key stakeholders, including PARDA’s management and board members, a representative of the Upper East Regional Minister, the Regional Directors of Health and Agriculture, District Coordinating Directors from the target municipalities and districts, as well as representatives of APWDs, Assembly Members, and Chiefs from beneficiary communities.

PARDA extends heartfelt appreciation to all stakeholders and partners for their active participation and support in making the launch a success.

This initiative forms part of the programme, commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, and co-financed by the Union and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).


GIZ Ghana
Children Believe Ghana
OXFAM in Ghana
Right To Play

03/06/2025

through the Power to Choose (P2C) project funded through celebrated on 28th May, 2025 with pupils and community members of Zangu-vuga JHS, St. Thomas JHS, Zaami JHS and Gbimsi community.
Participants got the opportunity to see various menstrual products such as the disposal sanitary pads, reusable sanitary pads, Tampons, Panty Liners and menstrual cups. The occasion was used to distribute disposable sanitary pads to over 300 participants from these schools.

31/05/2025

News In !!
PARDA in partnership with Children Believe (CB) under the Builsa-Kassena Area Child Development Programme, trained 200 youth (Youth Brigade) on emergency disaster preparedness and responsiveness (19th to 21st May 2025). This training which was facilitated by Ghana National Fire Service was crucial in preventing disasters such as annual floods. Other areas covered during the training included safety of children in flood prone areas during rainstorms. The youth were encouraged to lead in the tree planting exercise embark under the program as one of the ways in preventing disasters. The training ended with the development of workplans by the youth groups to prepare and respond to disasters. PARDA is grateful to Ghana National Fire Service for their prompt response and willingness to work with our youth groups in the communities in the prevention of disasters.
, ,