Funding Organization: The Charles Hayward Foundation
Funding focus: Projects that improve the livelihoods of disadvantaged communities in Commonwealth countries of Africa. including: Clean water and sanitation. Development of sustainable livelihoods in the context of environmental and wildlife conservation. Self-sustainability through training in farming skills and other income generation activities.
Eligibility Criteria: CSOs in Ghana have to partner a UK registered charities that have an annual income of between £150,000 and £4,000,000.
Grant Limit: one year grant of up to £15,000.
Deadline: 22 May 2026 and 18 September 2026
GRADUATES AND PROFESSIONALS OF GA-DANGME NETWORK
1.0 Executive Summary
The Graduates and Professionals of Ga-Dangme (GPGD) Network was established and incorporated to promote access to quality education for underprivileged children in rural communities and to create a skilled and workforce for the growing population through outreach programs, seminars, webinars and inter-connections. GPGD Network is dedicated to fostering community development through education and networking while upholding the values of professionalism and unity.
Mission
To leverage the skills, knowledge, and resources of Ga-Dangme graduates and professionals for the holistic development of people through education and empowering communities
Vision
To witness Ga-Dangme community thriving on education, professionalism, and unity, embodying educational excellence, economic prosperity, social cohesion, and the preservation of our rich cultural heritage.
Key Achievements
Education & Teacher Deployment – Partnered with the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to advocate for and facilitate the posting of 110 unposted Ga-Dangme teachers into various schools in the Greater Accra and Eastern region of Ghana.
STEM Education Support – Initiated and currently implementing STEM Workshop Projects for Junior High Schools in the Greater Accra Region and parts of the Eastern Region to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics among young learners.
Scholarships & Capacity Building – Provided scholarships to nursing students at the Royal Nursing Training College in Kumasi, enabling access to quality education for underprivileged but deserving youth.
Youth Employment – Secured multiple job opportunities for Ga-Dangme youth across various sectors, reducing unemployment and promoting economic empowerment.
Seminar-Organized a Pre-Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) preparation seminar for 540 students in Dodowa to enhance their readiness and performance at the examination
High-Level Engagements
The GPGD Network has engaged with key stakeholders and leaders to advance its objectives, including:
Minister of Communication, Digitalisation and Innovation
Director General, State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA)
Chief Executive Officer, EXIM Bank Ghana
Eastern Regional Minister & Greater Accra Regional Minister
Districts Directors of Education
District Chief Executives
Principal of Ada College of Education
Chiefs, Queen mothers, and other traditional authorities
Through these engagements, GPGD Network has strengthened partnerships, influenced policy decisions, and mobilized resources to support developmental initiatives.
2.0 Background, Problem and Rationale
Ghana has achieved some level of progress toward the Universal Basic Education; yet urban poverty, among other factors, prevents a significant number of children aged between 8-16 years from attending school or completing school. Nationally, over 547,000 children are Out-of-School in Ghana. Thus, to reduce the widening education gap in urban poor areas and support Ghana’s Education Strategic Plan (ESP) and Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), targeted interventions like the Ghana Education Outcome Project (GEOP) and Complementary Basic Education (CBE) are commendable. Even though evidence shows that these existing interventions have made some progress, for instance, the GEOP have enrolled 7,000 out-of-school children (ages 8–16) across 11 districts in three regions, whereas the Complementary Basic Education (CBE) program aimed at reintegrating over 20,000 out-of-school children annually into formal schooling systems. Indeed, the evidence above shows a broader national and regional challenge facing the educational sector.
The Greater Accra Region, despite being Ghana’s most urbanized region, still faces a significant number of out-of-school children, especially in low-income, peri-urban, and migrant communities. This proposal seeks a partnership with Plan International Ghana under the Ghana Education Outcomes Project (GEOP) to reintegrate over 7,000 out-of-school children (ages 8–16) into the formal school system within the next 3 months. Our approach leverages community-based mobilization, Complementary Basic Education (CBE), and bridge-to-school programs, aligning with GEOP’s objectives of equitable access, retention, and learning outcomes.
More significantly, the capital region, the Greater Accra Region, presents a unique laboratory with unique challenges, including:
Migrant & informal settlement communities with limited access to schools.
Street-connected children engaged in petty trading or domestic work.
High dropout rates in low-income districts due to poverty, lack of parental engagement, and mobility.
This proposal, therefore, seeks a partnership with Plan International Ghana under the Ghana Education Outcomes Project (GEOP) to reintegrate over 7,000 out-of-school children (ages 8–16) into the formal school system within the next 6 months.
3.0 Goals and Objectives
Goal:
To effectively and successfully identify, mobilize, validate, and prepare 7,000 eligible out-of-school children for integration into formal education in the selected municipalities in the Greater Accra Region.
Objectives:
a) Identification and Mobilization: Conduct community outreach to identify eligible OOSC in 10 target municipalities.
b) Validation: Work with Plan Ghana officials to verify eligibility and readiness for CBE enrollment.
c) Facilitator Recruitment: Recruit and orient 280 qualified facilitators to deliver foundational learning.
d) Learning Center Setup: Secure, equip, and prepare learning centers in proximity to target communities.
4.0 Target Beneficiaries and Municipalities
The target municipalities are as follows:
Beneficiaries: Three thousand (7,000) OOSC aged 8–16 years who:
• Have been out of school for at least one year.
• Are fluent in Ga, Twi, or Ewe.
• Reside within the targeted municipalities.
• Target Municipalities:
1. Ada East
2. Ada West
3. Ablekuma West
4. Ningo-Prampram
5. Shai-Osudoku
6. Tema West
7. Tema East
8. Teshie-Nugua
9.
10. Ga East