Our journey to achieving the ambitious goals are progressively successful through your support. We facilitated access to reliable platforms that amplified the voice of the voiceless, delivering interventions that brought about improvements in the livelihoods of the vulnerable in . This was achieved by leveraging innovation and technology, to bridge the knowledge and access gap that exist as well as create linkages to existing social protection systems.

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Savana Signatures - 2019 Annual Report

Beyond The Gender Roadblock

The stories in this annual report outline the progress being made in tackling sensitive underlying gender issues and stereotypes that embolden sexual and gender-based violence and inequalities.

The report “Beyond The Gender Roadblock," captures the spirit of our long-standing goal of empowering girls and women while supporting existing systems to bring respite to the thousands of young people and other groups, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda.

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News Report

Tackling malnutrition in northern Ghana amid the pandemic

The first 1,000 days in every child’s life is a very critical period for growth and development. During this period, the demand for essential micro-nutrients is usually very high for organ formation and the health of the mother. However, a recent nutrition data analysis in the Sagnarigu Municipality in the of Ghana revealed that Sagnarigu has the highest percentage for stunted children in the Northern Region with 47.6% as well as children underweight with 31%. (USAID METSS Survey, 2017).

Savana Signatures with support from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Ghana, through the DSM grant, has begun the implementation of Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) activities in the Sagnarigu Municipal area of Ghana’s Northern region.

The goal is to contribute to increasing the purchase and consumption of nutritious foods (fortified foods which are mixed with extra vitamins and minerals, and locally available nutritious foods) while influencing behaviour positively for improved dietary intake and nutrition.

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Savana Signatures builds capacities of skills trainers

We have built the capacities of master skill trainers in various fields to enable them equip young girls with the needed employable skills and other professional opportunities in their communities. The two-day capacity development workshop, brought together 14 master trainers in eight fields, including; carpentry, welding, spraying, painting, masonry, tiling, electrical and fabrication.

It formed part of the our Girls’ Life Choices (GLC) project, being implemented in the Northern, North East, Savannah, Volta and Oti regions, with support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The master trainers are expected to train a total of about 500 young girls who are beneficiaries of the project as part of efforts to end forced and early child marriages in the implementing regions and also support them with skills development and employable opportunities.

A similar training was organised for 19 master trainers from the Oti and Volta regions to equally train adolescent girls who are beneficiaries of the project.

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I-Matter Project: Curbing Sexual, Gender-Based Violence Among Girls & Women

Globally about 1 in 3 women experience violence in their lifetime (WHO; world report on violence and health, 2002). Violence against women and children, in particular, continues to be frighteningly common and consequentially accepted as “normal” within too many societies.

Since 2019, the I-Matter project through interactive media programmes has stimulated dialogues on ending harmful norms and practices that have marginalized women and girls in the communities in and Krachi Districts, Oti region of Ghana. The project has supported adolescent girls/boys and women in both districts with access and utilization of SGBV/SRHR information, services and linkages to social justice institutions.

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The Youth Empowerment Project: Raising responsible adolescents in Ghana

With funding from UNESCO Ghana and its partners, we have implemented the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP), aimed at introducing adolescent girls and boys to an accurate and age-appropriate integrated model of Reproductive Health Education (RHE) in the South and Central Tongu Districts in the of Ghana.

The introduction of the RHE among adolescents will empower adolescents to develop high self- esteem, explore personal values and norms, and be well informed with methods of curbing the high rate of teenage pregnancies in the districts.

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COVID-19 Response The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disturbing impact on our societies. The dynamics and uncertainties emanating from the disease call for an inclusive, pragmatic and grassroots approach to preventing the spread of the virus and its effects. We have gone an extra mile to initiate timely interventions to contain the spread of the virus and its associated spill-overs in all our operational zones in Ghana and beyond.

Cash Donation and PPEs

In response to challenges confronting the health sector in the Northern region of Ghana, Savana Signatures supported the Northern Regional Health Directorate with a cash donation of Ghc6,000.00 to be used in their efforts to combat the virus.

Also, as part of the organization’s mandate to protect project beneficiaries, it extended support to young people by donating, face masks, veronica buckets and hand sanitizers to various project communities.

Project Interventions

COVID-19: Schools are closed but it’s not a holiday

Esther, a 14-year old student speaking to issues of COVID-19 at Eagle FM,

On March 15, 2020, the ordered the closure of all educational institutions to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and to control the consequences of the virus on the health sector. This ban challenged the government and development organisations to urgently establish platforms for pupils and students to access learning, follow COVID-19 trends and stay safe while at home.

In response to this, and prioritizing the adherence to the COVID-19 protocols announced by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Savana Signatures together with Edukans International begun the implementation of a timely response project dubbed “Schools are closed but it’s not a holiday” in three ; Volta, North-East and Northern Regions. The intervention is meant to: guide parents to support their children during the pandemic, make sure every child goes back to school after the crisis and provide psychosocial support to teachers and pupils during this period.

The project brings together some selected media houses, teachers, parents, children and other CSOs to contribute to mitigating the social consequences of the pandemic. The programme is aired from Monday to Friday, every week, on these radio stations: Kuul FM (Ho, Volta Region) at 10:00 am, Lorlornya FM (, Volta Region) at 12:30 pm, Eagle FM (Walewale, North-East Region) at 12:30 pm and Radio Tamale (Tamale, Northern Region) at 1:00 pm.

Every broadcasting day, there are guests invited to the studio: Children on Monday, Youth on Tuesday, Parents on Wednesday, Teachers on Thursday and Radio drama on Friday.

Impact Stories COVID-19: “I am not afraid anymore when I am in town” – Gloria, 12 years

Gloria Ahadzi, 12 years old, lives at Adaklu Kodozbi in the Volta Region of Ghana and a student at Regional Model School at Flat Junction, Ho. She expressed fear about the COVID-19, stressing that her fear grows worse each moment she is in town.

"Though I follow all the protocols by using sanitizers, face-masks, washing of hands with soap under running water often but I am still afraid of the COVID-19 because one can’t tell who has the virus. I feel I could easily be infected due to the fast spread of the virus in the country."

Gloria aspires to become a nurse following her passion to treat people. "I am very sympathetic to persons who are sick and wishes to help them regain their health."

She praised Savana Signatures and Edukans International radio programme dubbed "Schools are closed but it is not a holiday" and noted that it's a good programme that encourages people, hence her fear has diminished since she started listening to the programme.

"It is very educative and guides me in my studies, I've learnt a lot including how to protect myself from COVID-19, practice personal hygiene and care for other children by sharing what I have and educating them on the prevention measures of COVID-19 and personal Hygiene"

She stated, she will continue to listen to the radio programme because it is a good initiative that would aid in her personal and academic development.

She plans to learn hard when school reopens because she has missed a lot already and would not relax immediately school reopens. Gloria encourages the public to follow all the COVID-19 protocols and stay healthy

Nambu Hubaidatu, 17-year old mother is a "My husband and I used to fight often; we member of our Ready Steady Group in Nkwanta disagreed on a lot of issues and often fought in the North District, Oti region. She is actively taking presence of the children. I noticed such behaviour part in group discussions that aim at ending child was affecting our children negatively, especially marriage, teenage pregnancy and Sexual and how they related to other people. Participating in Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) as part of the the Ready Steady discussions has taught me to Savana Signatures implemented iMatter Project. speak politely to my husband and seek for favourable grounds to meet the family needs, he As a result, she kicked against family pressure to has changed too and we now live happily with the marry the father of her baby at the expense of her children" said Vida, a member of our Ready education. “I disagreed to get married after I was Steady Discussions under the I-Matter project educated on the effects of child marriage, I am been implemented in Oti region. back in school, studying to become an actress and a responsible adult to enable me to take care of my baby”

Savana Signatures | September 30, 2020 | Quarterly Newsletter

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