The Youth Budget Advocacy Project was a peer-to-peer learning initiative designed to empower young people and community volunteers to participate in local budget processes. The project mobilized youth to demand accountability and transparency from duty-bearers and collectively advocate for programs that support children and youth development. Funded by Plan International Ghana and implemented by GRAY Network, the project reached 13 communities in South Tongu District and Hohoe municipality in Volta Region. It was executed in collaboration with community-based youth organizations, the District Assembly, Municipal Assemblies, and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), ensuring broad community impact.
Media Engagement
- Hosted radio talk shows on decentralization, budget advocacy, and civic participation.
- Reached 4,000+ listeners with live Q&A and digital storytelling campaigns.
Peer-to-Peer Training
- Trained 219 young people (including girls & young women) on:
- Local governance systems and the mandate of MMDAs.
- Budget processes and advocacy tools.
- Social accountability tools: Community Score Cards, Social Audits, Citizen Reports.
- Built skills in leadership, lobbying, and digital advocacy (WhatsApp campaigns).
Duty-Bearer Engagements
- Facilitated dialogues between youth and District leaders (DCE, Assembly members, health & education directors, budget/planning officers, NCCE reps).
- Raised key issues:
- Uncompleted clinic at Dodoekope (now prioritized by Ghana Health Service).
- Water scarcity – Assembly began distributing poly tanks.
- School furniture shortages – new desks distributed to some schools, others pending.
- Poor roads & drainage – Assembly promised culverts while seeking long-term solutions.
- Late invitations to budget forums – Assembly pledged earlier notices to improve participation.
Girls & Women: 118 (11 adolescent girls, 107 young women, )
Boys & Men: 101 (12 adolescent boys, 89 young men)
Stakeholders: 5
Radio Audience: 4,000+
Participants Reached
Girls & Women – 118
- 11 adolescent girls
- 107 young women
Boys & Men – 101
- 12 adolescent boys
- 89 young men
Stakeholders – 5
Radio Audience – 4,000+
Totals
- Direct participants:224
- Indirect participants (radio audience): 4,000+
- Overall reach: 4,224+ people
- 219 youth gained mobilization & leadership skills.
- 198 youth learned district budget processes & advocacy.
- 156 youth & community members gained confidence to demand accountability.
- Strengthened youth capacity to use social accountability tools.
- Raised community concerns (water, health, education, roads) directly with duty-bearers, prompting action.
This project strengthened civic participation by equipping youth and women with the knowledge and tools to influence governance. It empowered young people to demand accountability, advocate for development, and hold leaders responsible, building a stronger foundation for inclusive democracy and sustainable development in South Tongu and Ho municipality.
- “The training enlightened me on the role of the unit committee and how to use Community Scorecards and Citizen Report Cards to ensure transparency and accountability.” — Felix Dzebu, 31
- “I now understand that development issues should go through the unit committee, assembly member, and district assembly. This is a wake-up call for youth to engage in district budgets to enhance development and employment.” — Gifty Botchway, 27
- “The program has helped us demand transparency and accountability from duty bearers.” — James Adigbli, 26
- “I didn’t know the district assembly was responsible for overall community development until this training.” — Dogbey Rita, 19
- “The workshop motivated me to be an agent of change in my community through budget advocacy.” — Kekesi Janet, 26