Pusiga, Kulungugu and Paga - On 26 and 29 May 2023, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Ghana, in collaboration with STAR Ghana Foundation, handed over fenced gardens to members in the border communities of Pusiga, Kulungugu and Paga in the Upper East Region of Ghana. This livelihood support is expected to reduce their vulnerabilities and increase the communities' resilience to exploitation by violent extremist organizations.  

The gardens are equipped with mechanised boreholes for dry-season farming, and the beneficiaries received fertilizers, improved seedlings, water pumps, water hoses, and generators, amongst others, to ensure the sustainable use of the gardens. The community farmers were also trained in modern agricultural practices and irrigation farming.

The District Chief Executive for the Kassena Nankana West District Assembly, Honourable Gerard Ataogye, commended IOM and STAR Ghana Foundation for their commitment to improving the standard of living in the district and admonished community members to take good care of the gardens for maximum benefit. He expressed satisfaction with the “timely implementation of the livelihood project in the Kassena Nankana District as such interventions complement the effort of the Government of Ghana to ensure the safety of border residents and communities.” He urged community members, particularly the youth and women, to “take advantage of the intervention and not heed to the enticement of extremist organizations.”

Border communities in northern Ghana have become vulnerable to the potential infiltration and exploitation by violent extremist organizations owing to their historical socioeconomic vulnerabilities, including rising youth unemployment and limited access to social services. The situation is further compounded by the activities of violent extremist groups in the Sahel and neighbouring Burkina Faso.

In response to these challenges, a survey to understand the security perception and vulnerabilities of selected communities, including Pusiga, Kulungugu and Paga, was undertaken. Town hall meetings were organised in each community to discuss the findings and recommendations of the survey as well as potential socioeconomic interventions, such as the fenced gardens. The dialogue platform meetings, which bring together community members, local authorities and security services, allow participants to exchange, build trust and consult on the needs of the communities, and were used to select beneficiaries for the fenced gardens.  

The District Director of Agriculture at Pusiga, Chanegia Simon, said: “This intervention, I strongly believe, will safeguard our young people. People in this community will be empowered with modern agricultural practices. When people have regular sources of livelihood, they are less susceptible to the enticement of violent extremist organizations or radicalized.”

A Dialogue Platform member in the Kulungugu community echoed the positive impact the livelihood project will have, saying: “Our lives will improve for the better. We now have access to potable water for our daily use and to farm all year round. I am excited that I will be able to work in the gardens, make money and look after my family.”

The interventions were made possible as part of the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) funded project “Enhancing Community Resilience and Social Cohesion amongst Selected Border Communities in Northern Ghana” and the “Enhancing border community stabilization along the northern land borders of Ghana” project funded by the Government of Japan.

For more information, please contact the National Project Officer at IOM Ghana, Daniel Tagoe, via email at dtagoe@iom.int, Tel: +233 30 274 2408.