Australian High Commission
Ghana
Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo

AusCivilSocietyShowcaseRelease

Australia Showcases its Work with Civil Society Partners in West Africa


Accra, 9 June 2015 – The Australian High Commission Ghana today welcomed representatives from its civil society and government-body partners from 9 West African countries including Ghana.


The reception and photo exhibition showcased the positive impacts resulting from effective partnerships between Australia and its partners in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo.
Speaking on the theme, Developing people and communities through effective partnerships, the Australian High Commissioner Ms Joanna Adamson said that developing people and communities ‘is a collective endeavour that demands the active participation of civil society organisations’.


The High Commissioner used the occasion to announce the recipients of the High Commission’s 2014-15 Direct Aid Program grants. A total of almost A$ 806,000 (equivalent to GHS2,420,000), was awarded to 19 NGOs in seven West African countries. She also announced that the Australia-funded Disability Rights Advocacy Fund, managed from Boston USA, is funding other nine Ghanaian NGOs to promote inclusive rights for disabled persons.


The High Commissioner expressed condolences to the Accra flood victims and their families and donated GHS10,000 to support the Salvation Army in its disaster relief efforts around Accra.
 

The Civil Society Showcase also celebrated the Australian Volunteer program which will end in Ghana on 30 June 2015. Over the last five years, the Program has spent over A$3m (almost GHS10,000,000) to bring skilled Australians to support government and non-government organisations in Ghana.


The Australian Government has also supported certain Australian organisations to work closely with NGOs in Ghana, Togo and Senegal. Among others, this initiative has supported Wateraid Ghana with A$2m (GHS6,500,000) to provide potable water in Ghana; supported World Vision with $1.8 million (GHS5,800,000) to help address issues of child labour, early marriage and female genital mutilation in Senegal.
For more information, please contact Dr Robert Asomadu-Kyereme, ([email protected]; +233 302-216 462).