THE ADOPTION OF THE YOUTH MANIFESTO OF GHANA BY THE SAVANNAH YOUNG FARMERS NETWORK

The relevance of Ghana’s Youth Manifesto

The youth Manifesto of Ghana is a comprehensive compilation of youth policy options and proposals that seek to project the issues and perspectives of the youth in order to ensure the formulation and implementation of strategic youth development policies for a holistic development of the Ghanaian youth. This will ensure that the youth of Ghana becomes integral stakeholders in influencing and propelling the nation’s developmental agenda.

Ghana’s youth manifesto provides an innovative and concrete alternative policy options on decision making relevant in equipping policy makers with the core aspirations and perspectives of the Ghanaian youth. This will serve as a guide in the formulation of demand driven youth development policies to facilitate the development of their capacities and to harness their rich talents and skills for accelerated national development.

The youth manifesto of Ghana is therefore a concerted and coordinated effort at addressing the critical issues affecting the development of the Ghanaian youth. Furthermore, Ghana’s youth manifesto is a rallying point for the youth and youth organizations to collectively advocate for a greater commitment by all unsandry to address the challenges militating against the development of the Ghanaian youth.

The development of Ghana’s youth manifesto

Following series of consultative meetings with youth groups across the country, the youth Manifesto Coalition was formed as an umbrella body through which the processes of developing the youth Manifesto was coordinated for a successful development of the Youth Manifesto Document.

In a bid to strengthen the capacity of the Youth Manifesto Coalition, series of capacity building and training workshops were conducted. They included capacity building and training programs on: youth advocacy and active citizenship, youth media skills and advocacy, peace building and conflict prevention and participatory community radio production.

Owing to the capacity development received by youth advocates across the country, they were engaged in collecting inputs from youth and stakeholders at the community, district and regional levels using mediums such as: community forums, symposiums, community radio, social media, the project’s website etc.

Based on the inputs received, drafts documents of the youth Manifesto were prepared by the writing and coordination taskforce for series of technical reviews by leaders of civil society organizations, Agencies of the United Nations, Research and Academic institutions etc.

These technical reviews and validation processes have resulted in the development of the Youth Manifesto of Ghana that seeks among others to place the issues of the youth more prominently in the national development agenda. This is to ensure the effective development of the capacities of the youth in order to harness their rich talents and skills for accelerated national development.

The youth manifesto of Ghana is therefore the product of a year - long collaborative effort by young people under the voices of youth project, implemented by the Youth Empowerment Synergy (YES-Ghana) in partnership with key stakeholders including: representatives of civil society organizations, international development agencies under the United Nations, the academia, governmental agencies and the media.

The adoption of Ghana’s youth manifesto

The adoption of the youth manifesto of Ghana is essential in ensuring that the perspectives and concerns of the Ghanaian youth are effectively considered and addressed in order to harness their ingenuity for national development.

It is in this regard that the Savannah Young Farmers Network (SavaNet), a non-governmental organization committed to promoting sustainable Agricultural and Environmental development across the Savannah Ecological belt of Ghana and the country at large has adopted the Youth Manifesto of Ghana and is thus actively engaged in the formulation and implementation of innovative developmental initiatives.

This is aimed at promoting entrepreneurship across the Agricultural value chain and the provision of demand driven Agricultural Advisory services to farmers across the Savannah Ecological zone of Ghana. Among the actions adopted for Implementation are:

The need to enhance access to Agricultural Advisory services for increased Agricultural Productivity; Owing to the important role that Agricultural Extension services play in equipping farmers with the needed technical skills to ensure increased productivity, the Savannah Young Farmers Network (SavaNet) have been committed in the development of innovative ICT driven methodologies for the provision of participatory and  demand driven  Agricultural Extension services to farmers in the Northern region of Ghana. This is aimed at increasing farmer’s productivity for improved food security.

These initiatives by the SavaNet have significantly contributed to the active engagement of the youth in to Agriculture and the development of Agri-enterprises across the Agricultural value chain. This has significantly contributed in curbing the rising youth unemployment in the country.

Promoting the provision of Agricultural Credit Schemes; following the important role that funding play across the production cycle the Savannah Young Farmers Network (SavaNet) have been actively engaged in developing and strengthening Agricultural value chains across the north of Ghana.

This is aimed at facilitating the development and management of efficient Agricultural credit schemes to promote Agricultural productivity across the Agricultural value chain for increased food security.

Promoting the active engagement of the youth in to Agriculture; the Savannah Young Farmers Network (SavaNet) a youth led non-governmental organization in Ghana champions the active engagement of the youth in Agriculture through the implementation of innovative and impact oriented Agricultural development projects.

These interventions are facilitating the engagement of the youth across the Agricultural value chain with the establishment of various Agri-enterprises to curtail the increasing level of youth unemployment in Ghana.

The Savannah Young Farmers Network (SavaNet) therefore calls on all development professionals, governmental and non-governmental organizations to adopt the youth manifesto of Ghana to ensure the active engagement of the youth in nation building.