Ghana has taken a significant step towards promoting sport, development, and peace as it becomes the first country to receive training on the United Nations’ toolkit. After a series of preparatory workshops in Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda, the toolkit was officially validated in Zimbabwe in November 2022.
The decision to choose Ghana as the inaugural recipient of the training was announced at a two-day workshop held at the University of Ghana, aimed at equipping individuals and organizations with the necessary knowledge to implement the UN toolkit.
Strategic Choice for Ghana
Dr. Wilfred Ochan, the UNFPA Country Representative in Ghana, commended the collective effort of stakeholders in developing the toolkit. Ghana’s selection as the first recipient was strategic, considering its preparedness to host the 2023 Africa Games. The workshop aimed to ensure that lessons learned from the training could be effectively implemented as part of the Games’ legacy.
Addressing Key Areas
During the workshop, experts identified several key issues that require attention and must be addressed in the context of sport, development, and peace. These include sport, development, and peace policies and programs, skills training, volunteerism, employability, and mentorship, physical education, physical activity, and sport, safeguarding, integrity, and human rights, values, social inclusion, and role modeling, awareness, advocacy, and social impact, as well as monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs.
Dr. Bella Bello Bitugu, the Director of Sports at the University of Ghana and convener of the workshop, emphasized the importance of inclusive policies and programs in sport, development, and peace. The workshop aimed to introduce all modules of the toolkit in detail, with the objective of developing, implementing, and reviewing policies that benefit all segments of society.
Mr. Paul Semeh, Founder and CEO of the Street Children Empowerment Foundation (SCEF), highlighted the transformative power of sport and play-based learning in the lives of street-connected children. SCEF has witnessed the positive impact of their sport and play-based curriculum, which equips these children with essential life skills, preparing them for formal education and independent living.
Training for Effective Implementation
Facilitators at the workshop guided participants through various modules of the UN toolkit, including an introduction to the toolkit itself, skills training, volunteerism, employability, mentorship, SDP policies and programs, values, social inclusion, and role modeling. The training aimed to equip participants with the necessary knowledge and tools to create effective SDP policies and programs in Ghana.
Ghana’s pioneering role in receiving training on the UN toolkit demonstrates the country’s commitment to harnessing the potential of sport, development, and peace. Ghana is well-positioned to create a lasting impact and serve as a role model for other nations in the field of sport and development.
