Advocates Redesign

Tag: ACA

  • Eric Anorrey extols SK Fellowship’s positive influence on him

    “The Sora Kaufman Fellowship has set a solid foundation for my leadership in the civil society space, enhancing my adaptability and teamwork, and strategic thinking in leading Global Youth Innovation Center (GYIC) for community impact”, Eric Anorrey, a proud member of the Sora Kaufman Fellowship.

    The 37-year-old Project Manager for the Livelihood and Environment Ghana (LEG) describes his experience with the SK Fellowship as “immersive, focusing on key areas vital for driving social impact.” 

    Mr. Anorrey, who currently leads the STAR Ghana Volunteerism Project in Atebubu in the Bono East Region has been throwing some light about his encounter with SK Fellowship as captured below.

    My name is Eric Anorrey, a Ghanaian with a Bachelor of Arts in Development Education from the University for Development Studies in 2014. I work towards a just society where resources and opportunities are distributed fairly while the populace are recognized as the key actors in their own development rather than passive recipients of commodities and services. My community work has been guided by empathy and compassion, accountability, integrity and transparency, respect for diversity and inclusion, cultural sensitivity and self-reflection and continuous learning. I have a particular interest in youth development that fosters skilled youth population and empowers vulnerable women for decent employment and improved livelihoods that protects their human rights and dignity, as well as rural development and environmental management and sustainability.

    My one-month intensive training with the Sora Kaufman Fellowship provided an invaluable experience in shaping my leadership and professional development skills, as well as a period of transformation and enrichment for me and my community work.

    I have enjoyed the knowledge from renowned experts in leadership, governance and other topics like networking, advocacy, and grant writing which have provided me with tools and insights to lead more effectively, develop collaborative relationships, and sustainably develop professionally and impact more communities through my work. I found the balance between theoretical knowledge and practical application to be very impactful.

    Furthermore, the peer networking established during my one-month stay has proven to be a valuable resource for future collaboration and growth. The opportunity to learn and share experiences with colleagues from different regions and organizations has proven to be very valuable, and fostered a collaborative learning atmosphere, giving me different perspectives to confront real-world challenges that create change in communities.

    My encounter with the residents of Addo Nkwanta during our two-day community stay was outstanding. This influenced my perspective on community-driven development efforts and valuable feedback from the residents.

    Fellows will always remember our field trips with the Advocates for Community

    Alternatives’ team, as well as the good times that came with them.  From reception to departure, we had amazing experiences together, creating an inclusive and diverse environment for all fellows.

    Our dinner night was a mix of happy and sorrowful moments as fellows said goodbye to one another and waved at their final residential night.

    The Sora Kaufman Fellowship has set a solid foundation for my leadership in the civil society space, enhancing my adaptability and teamwork, and strategic thinking in leading Global Youth Innovation Center (GYIC) for community impact. The sessions focused on adaptable leadership, and effectively managing diverse teams. Practical case studies reinforced my abilities for dealing with real-world organizational challenges.

  • SK Fellowship is a transformative experience – Benedicta Naa Odarkor Lamptey

    The Sora Kaufman Fellowship is undoubtedly making positive impacts on the lives of the first six beneficiaries as it continues to establish a network of Africa leaders and practitioners in the field of community-driven development and advocacy.

    The Fellowship is a flagship program of Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA), an Accra-based NGO operating in Ghana and other African countries.

    “It’s been enriching and a transformative experience” Benedicta Naa Odarkor Lamptey, one of the fellows noted as she was reflecting on her journey with the Sora Kaufman Fellowship.

    “What started as a professional development opportunity quickly became a journey of personal growth, fostering valuable lessons, forging deep bonds, and laying the foundation for a future built on impactful leadership”, she added.

    Please find Benedicta’s personal accounts of her stings with the SK Fellowship program below:

    One of the most profound lessons I learnt during this fellowship was the importance of empowering communities to champion their own development – a model of development that encapsulates what endogenous development theories advocate for. Prior to this training, I had always understood the concept of development in a top-down manner approach, where decisions are often made by experts at the top, without necessarily considering the input or the needs of the community at the bottom/down. However, through this fellowship, I was introduced to the power of effectively involving communities at the grassroots level in identifying and solving their challenges, through participatory engagement approach (PEA), thereby making the communities to own the solutions to their challenges/problems and confronting them.

    The learning sessions and the field activities like the community visits to Dadetsunya and Ahinkwa Sisi where ACA’s projects are underway and the two-day community stay at Addo Nkwanta showcased how communities, when empowered with the right knowledge and tools, can drive sustainable solutions that are rooted in their cultural aspirations, culture, needs, and available resources. This shifted my perspective on development and showed me how essential it is to build solutions that are not only effective but also community centered.

    One of the most impactful aspects of the fellowship was the opportunity to develop leadership skills. The various leadership training sessions, both in the classroom and our time with Captain (Rtd) Prince Kofi Amoabeng, forced me to examine my approach to leadership. I discovered the value of active listening, empathy, and collaboration. I also learnt that leadership is not just about directing or instructing others but about inspiring and empowering them. During the training session with Captain Amoabeng, I learnt that leadership requires self-discipline. By working alongside passionate peers who brought their unique perspectives, I was constantly challenged to grow in my thinking, and in turn, this experience allowed me to reflect on my own values and how I can lead with integrity, humility, and purpose. 

    The fellowship also provided me with the unique opportunity to forge strong bonds with fellow participants. I was ushered into a cohort of other fellows like Solomon, Comfort, Margaret, Martin and Eric. We came from diverse backgrounds, yet we shared a collective vision of making a positive impact on our respective communities, culminating in the formation of an unspoken connection built on mutual respect and shared aspirations. We supported one another and celebrated each other’s successes, (reflecting on Martin’s success story). These relationships will continue to be a source of strength and inspiration as I navigate the path ahead. The fellowship created a community within itself—one that encouraged openness, growth, and collaboration.

    In terms of impact, the knowledge and skills I have acquired since I joined this fellowship continue to influence my work in significant ways. For instance, in my current role as a Project Lead for Community and Family Aid Foundation, I am now equipped with tools that allow me to engage communities more effectively, ensuring that the people we serve have a voice in shaping solutions that directly affect them. Whether it’s designing programs, drafting policies, or executing projects, I now have the confidence and understanding to approach challenges in a more inclusive and sustainable manner. The emphasis on community-driven development will guide my efforts in fostering collaboration between stakeholders, ensuring that the solutions we create are both relevant and lasting.

    Looking toward future roles, the lessons I have learnt will shape my approach to leadership. As I progress in my career, I plan to implement a more participatory style of leadership, where I encourage the people, I work to contribute ideas and solutions rather than simply executing directives. I will also advocate for community-driven models in any new projects, understanding that true sustainable development can only occur when the community is at the heart of the process.

    The Sora Kaufman Fellowship has not only equipped me with invaluable skills but has inspired me to lead with greater empathy, foresight, and integrity.

  • Bosuso soap making factory poised for economic turn-around

    Residents of Bosuso in the Fanteakwa South District are on course to realizing their dream of providing employment opportunities for themselves, ⁠increase individual daily savings and ⁠improve daily square meals among households by at least 10% in one year.

    This follows the successful completion of their black soap production factory constructed in partnership with the Fanteakwa South District Assembly in the Eastern Region and Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA), a non-governmental organization, which helps West African communities that are threatened by the destructive impacts of extractive projects to take control of their futures.

    By way of creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for themselves the Bosuso community took advantage of a $9,000 microgrant by ACA under its Facilitated Collective Action Process (FCAP) implemented in partnership with the district assembly. 

    To fully operate the factory and improve their living standards, some community members have undergone training on black soap production to quip them with the requisite skills to kick-start production as early as possible.

    KAEME, a premium Ghanaian company specializing in personal care products such as shea soufflé, liquid black soap, among others, facilitated the training program for the participants at the newly built soap factory.

    Freda Obeng-Ampofo, the Founder and Chief Mixer of Kaeme introduced the participants to the various aspects of black soap production.

    From all indications, the Bosuso community is mor than ready for the smooth take off of the project as the people have acquired required items and the basic ingredients for black soap production. 

    “This is very dear to our hearts and we’re extremely excited to venture into such a monumental project which has the potential to turn our socio-economic fortunes around in future and so we’re leaving no stone unturned to make things work for our own good”, said Mr. Maxwell Owusu Bannerman, a Community Member.

  • Financiers warned of huge risks to communities and biodiversity as Rio Tinto approves world’s biggest mining project

    Simandou deposit, Guinea. Photo: Rio Tinto
    The Board of Directors of Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto is exposing Guinean communities and the company’s shareholders to grave risks by approving a $6.2 billion investment in the Simandou iron project without adequately studying and mitigating environmental and social risks, according to civil society organisations BankTrack and Advocates for Community Alternatives.

    The Simandou project involves four extensive mining blocks in a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot in southeastern Guinea, over 650 km of new rail lines traversing chimpanzee habitat and the territory of at least 450 communities, and a dedicated port facility in a coastal area where artisanal fishing comprises the main source of income and food security.  While the project is still under construction, local communities have already reported widespread land theft, destruction of farmlands, profanation of cultural sites, pollution of sacred springs and drinking water sources, and degradation of fish stocks and other sources of livelihoods. (1)

    Rio Tinto is one of the main developers of the project through its controlling stake in a local joint venture, Simfer S.A., that was granted rights to mine half the iron ore deposit.  While much of the infrastructure for the project has been built by the holder of the other half of the mineral rights, the Chinese-led Winning Consortium Simandou (WCS), Simfer is the joint owner of the railway and the port.

    “So far, Rio Tinto’s public commitments to strict social and environmental norms has been cold comfort to Guinean communities in the path of the Simandou project,” explained Jonathan Kaufman, Executive Director of Advocates for Community Alternatives.  “As co-owners of the rail and port facilities, they could have put a stop to the abuses and ensured that affected people receive a remedy for what they’ve suffered, but they’ve done nothing.”

    The project developers could mitigate the risks of the project if they properly studied and planned for them, but according to civil society advocates, both Simfer and WCS have failed to do so. (2)

    BankTrack, together with partners, first raised the alarm about the risks and impacts of this project last summer by publishing a Dodgy Deal profile. The banks financing Rio Tinto and the other project developers were also warned in a November 2023 letter, in which they were reminded of their responsibilities under the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. (3)

    The pollution of waterways, failure to respect social and environmental commitments, and decision to start construction before environmental review was complete all constitute violations of Guinean law that could threaten Rio Tinto’s legal and social licenses to operate.  They are also violations of the Equator Principles and the IFC Performance Standards, to which many international financial institutions have pledged adherence in their funding decisions.  If the project results in an environmental and humanitarian disaster, as Human Rights Watch has warned it could, financiers that uncritically support Rio Tinto will find themselves complicit.

    Banks funding Rio Tinto should therefore engage the company to ensure that harms so far experienced by communities are addressed, further risks are mitigated, and with the active participation of local communities. Specifically, banks should insist that Rio Tinto publicly commit to adhering to the IFC Performance Standards, submit to an independent audit under the IRMA standards for responsible mining, apply the principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent with respect to the affected communities, and publicly disclose key project documents, including impact assessments and audits and the project’s Environmental Compliance Certificates.  

    Notes to editors

    (1) More information about the Simandou project’s risks and impacts can be found on BankTrack’s Dodgy Deal profile, here: https://www.banktrack.org/project/simandou_iron_ore_project_guinea 

    The profile includes up-to-date maps showing the project’s impacts on communities, protected areas, biodiversity hotspots and chimpanzee habitats produced by EarthInsight.

    (2) WCS’s environmental and social impact assessments are dire; for example, they predict irreversible impacts to groundwater systems that supply local communities and flow into the headwaters of the Niger River, a lifeline to millions of people in several arid West African countries.  But they are also inadequate; expert reviews have shown that they are based on outdated and inapplicable data, fail to include key mitigation plans for biodiversity and management of effluents, and dedicate insufficient funds for the preservation of endangered species such as the West African chimpanzee, the forest elephant, and the pygmy hippopotamus.  

    Rio Tinto’s own record of due diligence is no better; the company’s original impact plan for preserving biodiversity relied on “physically removing or scaring away animals,” and its current assessments and plans have not been made public.  In fact, Rio Tinto began clearing land and building its own section of railroad before its impact studies had ever been considered by the Guinean government.

    (3) Letters were sent to 23 major financiers of Rio Tinto, for an example see here.

    For media enquiries please contact:

    1. Emyloïa Kpadonou, Communications Officer, Advocates for Community Alternatives: +233 50 037 5984
    2. Ryan Brightwell, Research & Communications Director, BankTrack:  +31 634 643 116

  • Bosuso soap-making factory project on course

    Residents of Bosuso, a farming community in the Fanteakwa South district, are anxiously waiting for the successful completion of a soap-making factory in the town to turn their economic fortunes around.

    They have no doubt that the project, when completed, will offer both direct and indirect jobs to several thousands of people in the area, especially women and the youth.

    The people of Bosuso, led by their chief, Nana Atta Krofa, are taking advantage of an existing palm-oil factory in the area, to put up a soap-making factory to make full use of the residue of the palm-oil factory.

    The residues of the palm-oil factory, especially the palm-kernel, which currently go waste will soon become the major raw material to produce a variety of soap, hence the resolve by the community members to vigorously pursue this laudable project to a successful end.

    The Bosuso community has so far spent $5,250 (Gh.c 62,995) on this project out of its $9,000 microgrant advanced jointly by the Fanteakwa South District Assembly and Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA), a non-profit-making organisation, which helps West African communities that are threatened by the destructive impacts of extractive projects to take control of their futures.

    The soap-making factory, which is expected to turn around the economic fortunes of the local community, is being executed under the Facilitated Collective Action Process (FCAP), a partnership between the district assembly and ACA as part of measures to strengthen local participation in the implementation of the Assembly’s medium term development plan.

    “We’ve really gone far with the project and currently it’s at the lintel level. We’re going to put additional two blocks on the beam and continue from there. We’re also waiting for the DCE to support us with the specified wood required for the project”, Nana Atta Krofa, said.

    “This livelihood enhancement project will go a long way to boost our local economy and I will everything within my power to ensure its successful completion and I must thank ACA partnering with our district assembly to bring this project to our doorstep.”