NORSAAC: Northern Sector Action on Awareness Centre

Welcome

2010-06-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your interest in the Northern Sector Action on Awareness Centre. We are a non-profit organisation devoted to working with communities to build the capacity of marginalized populations in Northern Ghana, West Africa. Our organization focuses on three thematic areas: women, health, and education. We have adopted advocacy and community mobilization as core strategies in our work.

Please feel free to browse this site to learn about the important work being done in our communities. The Organizational Profile highlights our vision, mission, background, core values, objectives, and methodologies. This section is the best way to get to know us. In addition we have a summary of previous activities, photos, and news articles highlighting our work.

We appreciate any form of support or feedback.

Thank you!

Norsaac NGO Launches "Star Project"

2007-08-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

Ghana: Norsaac NGO Launches "Star Project"

Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra)

2 August 2007

Edmond Gyebi
Bupei

In complementing Ghana's fight against the deadly HIV/AIDS, the Northern Sector Action on Awareness Centre (NORSAAC) with support from Action Aid International, Ghana has inaugurated six community volunteer clubs at Bupei in the Central Gonja District to carry out intensive campaign and education on the disease.

The Clubs known as "the Stars" are also expected to educate the communities on Conflict Resolution and Management to minimize the ever-growing conflicts emanating from chieftaincy disputes and land litigations across the region.

The Clubs will operate in Yapei, Bupei, Kusawgu, Fufulso, Sankpala and Domeabra all in the Central Gonja District.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Associate Director of NORSAAC, Mr. Mohammed Alhassan Awal said the introduction of the Star Project was one of the social responsibilities of his outfit to ensuring maximum understanding of the people on some pertinent issues that affect their lives.

NORSAAC is one of the premier NGOs in the Northern Region interested in women empowerment, capacity building, skill training and promotion of women participation in good governance or decision-making processes.

Mr. Mohammed Awal who attributed the achievements of his organization to the continue support from Action Aid International Ghana, therefore challenged members of the clubs to go all out without any discrimination in the discharge of their duties.

According to him, though NORSAAC and Action Aid have plans of extending the Star Project to the other districts across the region, the performances of the six newly inaugurated Clubs will determine the final decision.

Mr. Anaaba K. Nabila, the Senior Programme Manager of Action Aid in Charge of HIV/AIDS and Women's Rights called on all district assemblies in the region to collaborate with the NGOs and the CBOs to comprehensively support the persons living with HIV/AIDS so as to prevent the spread of the disease.

According to him, surest way of reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS is for to government and the Ministry of Health to strictly ensure that HIV positive pregnant women are given adequate drugs to avoid mother to child transmission.

Mr. Anaaba was particularly worried about the stigmatization and violation of rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS some of whom he indicated are sometimes denied food and proper shelter by their communities.

He was of the conviction that the formation of the Star Clubs by NORSAAC and Action Aid Ghana in the communities will reverse the appalling treatment and perceptions societies have about persons with HIV/AIDS.

However, each of the clubs was provided with logistics that would enhance their operations, which include bicycles, touch lights, batteries, condoms, notebooks, handbags, lanterns and benches among others.

Link to Original Story

Donation of Bikes

2007-07-16T11:21:00.001-07:00

Updates and Reports

2007-06-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

2003-2006: Summary of Achievements

2003 - 2006: Achievements

2007-06-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

The organisation since its formation has been able to carry out some of the following in its operational areas in the northern region of Ghana.

Women’s rights sensitization in communities. NORSAAC has carried out community sensitization in 42 communities in the region on basic rights of women. These sensitizations were aimed at addressing issues that affect women and children in these communities. This was done through community durbars of chiefs, opinion leaders, women and children where issues affecting them were raised and addressed by underlining it through the constitutional provision available.

Economic Empowerment. The empowerment of women has been carried out through various capacity building of women in shear butter processing and soap making through which now they have been able to produce some quantities for their up keep.

Women in leadership and Female students’ leadership promotion in schools (gender clubs). NORSAAC in the bid to increase women representation in District Assemblies, build the capacities of 109 women from ten districts and 55 out of the number filed and contested the non partisan District Assembly elections in 2006 of which 23 won and 39 appointed making the total number to 62 Assembly women. The organisation has trained more than 200 gender club members in junior, secondary and teacher training colleges in Northern region. This has influenced some females in the schools and they have applied for some leadership positions.

The organisation in the efforts to achieve its vision and mission appreciates the importance of addressing women’s rights issues and to empower them economically to make them stand on their own and to participate in the leadership roles in the communities and at the national level in the overall attainment of society free of marginalized group of women and children especially girls. For this reason the following activities have been initiated by the organisation as its sub activities under the main activities headings and Bicycle donation to needy girls who walk long distances to school: Violence Against Girls in institutions and schools (VAG), Violence Against Women (VAW), Formation of Assembly Women Caucus, World AIDS day celebration, Annual Celebration of 16 days of activism and Substance Influence in Learning Process and protection of the destitute.

How we have served Women and Girls:

The women who were trained and won the non partisan election have been able to form a sub regional Caucus of Assembly Women in the local governance. The girls in the gender club memberships in junior, secondary and teacher training colleges in the Northern region have become influential women leaders in various categories and have influenced female students contesting for leadership positions.

Photo Gallery

2007-06-27T00:01:00.001-07:00

Photos of Bike Donation Project

General Photos:

Women developing their own ideas
Women doing group work at a workshop
Saratu Issah Assembly Woman from Tamale contributing at a workshop
Members of Assembly Women Caucus on Good Governance- NORWACGG After a training session
Gender Club members having a radio discussion
Gender Club members celebrating 16 days of activism

Executive Director of NORSAAC, Mrs Hafsah Sey Sumani, addressing a forum
Capacity Building Session for Women
Assembly Women at a Leadership Training Workshop
Acting Director of NORSAAC: Alhassan M Awal

NORSAAC in the News

2007-06-26T17:14:00.001-07:00

The following links are to articles that have highlighted the work of NORSAAC:

Gender Clubs in All Teachers Training Colleges in Northern region

NORSAAC donates 300 bikes to needy and marginalized groups up north

NORSAAC Launches "Star Project"

Contact Us

2007-06-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

For information on the organization, donating, or volunteer opportunities, please contact the Executive Director:

The Executive Director

NORSAAC

P.O. Box 366E/R

Tamale N/R

Ghana W/A

E-mail: norsaac@yahoo.com

Telephone 233(0)243415938 or 233(0) 244818936.

Office Location : Gumani Main Road Near Junction to Ibis. Tamale

Organizational Profile

2007-06-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

VISION STATEMENT

To have an equitable society in which every human being enjoys equal rights and live happily in peace and harmony.

MISSION STATEMENT

To work with communities, community structures to build the capacity of the marginalized in order to empower them to access their needs on sustainable basis.

INTRODUCTION

To operationalize the concept of equity among communities through the process of involvement and development of its people, there need be a total commitment among the youth and women of today to build a human society for all in the future hence the need to develop and harmonise policies to reflect current realities and policies from global and National frameworks such as Millenium Development Goals and the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy. Recognizing the gender imbalance in our development process, the organisation focuses more on gender mainstreaming in all projects and programmes to ensure participation, inclusion and voice.

BACKGROUND

The Northern Sector Action on Awareness Centre (NORSAAC) was initiated in 2002 as organisation solely for HIV/AIDS. The initial name was Northern Schools AIDS Action Clubs. During this period, the organisation adopted the use of advocacy and networking tools in achieving its objectives. Formation of HIV/AIDS clubs in all levels of the nation’s educational institutions was also instituted.

In early parts of 2003, management of the organisation decided to upscale the activities and projects to cover areas of concern. The name was therefore revised to Northern Sector Action on Awareness Centre (NORSAAC). The revised idea was to work with communities, community structures to build the capacity of the marginalized in order to empower them to access their needs on sustainable basis.

The organisation therefore adopted advocacy and community mobilization as main strategies to achieve objectives. Marginalization of any group of people in every society was seen as a main challenge in the organisation restructuring process. Formal registration process was started and the organisation actively operates as a gender based advocacy organisation.

LEGAL STATUS

The organisation is a non-profit and non-partisan NGO. It has been duly registered with Registrar General’s Department with registration number G.13, 250 and Department of Social Welfare both in Accra. It has also been duly registered with the National Youth council (NYC) to facilitate its youth activities.

CORE VALUES OF THE ORGANISATION

We believe in social justice and in carrying out this philosophy, we are committed to the poor, the under privileged, the marginalised, the handicapped, the deprived and therefore seek to serve them by empowering them to realize and exhibit their God-giving potentials. We believe in these values.

We belong to God; we acknowledge our God. In God’s love, mercy and grace are made known to us all people we desire Him to be central in our individual and cooperate life.
We are committed to the needy; we are called as development workers ready to serve the needy people of the earth to relieve their suffering and to promote the transformation of life. We seek to facilitate an engagement between the needy and affluent that opens both to transformation.
We value people; we regard all people as created by and loved by God. We act in a way that respects the dignity, uniqueness and intrinsic worth of every person; the needy, donors, our staff and their families, the board and volunteers. We give priority to people before any other thing.
We are stewards; the resources at our disposal are not for us. The resources are from God through donors on behalf of the needy. We are faithful to the purpose for which those resources are given and manage them in a manner that makes the maximum amount available to benefit the poor. We are stewards of God’s creation.
We are partners; we are members of NORSAAC; partnership that transcends legal, structural and cultural boundaries; we accept obligations of joint participation, shared goal and mutual accountability that my partnership requires.
We are responsive; NORSAAC is responsive to the life-threatening emergencies where our involvement is needed and appropriate. We are willing and ready to take intelligent risk and act quickly. We do this from a foundation of experience and sensitivity to what the situation requires. We also recognise the contribution of the destitute, the needy and PLWHAS.
We are gender sensitive; the organisation in all its dealing would respect involvement of all sexes. It shall promote inclusion, participation and voice. NORSAAC management and board would also be constituted with consideration of gender sensitivity.

NORSAAC focuses on three main thematic areas, these are; Women Rights, Health and Education with the rest as non-thematic interest areas:

A. WOMEN RIGHTS

A.1. Institutional based gender project.

Violence against Girls in Schools.
Capacity Building of female students to contest leadership positions in schools
Engaging with Education Authorities to address leadership structures in schools.
Formation of gender clubs.
Reducing the gender parity in all levels of education.

A.2. Community based gender project

Economic Empowerment of women; ways of sustaining income and promotion of community products.
Women in leadership and party political decision making.
Sensitization on women rights.
Engaging community discussions to address cultural barriers affecting women participation, inclusion and voice
Advocacy on streetism and child labour.

A.3. Gender Mainstreaming

Partnering with other organizations to mainstream gender in all activities and projects.
Engaging district assemblies, politicians and community leaders to empower and involve women in development.
Capacity building for staff
Advocacy and Networking Approaches for women.

B. HEALTH

B.1. School Health and Sexual Reproductive Health

Improve parent- child health communication
Advocacy on basic health practices.
Training and provision of first aid facilities.

B.2. Mental Health Education

Advocacy on substance influence for learning in institutions.
Drug abuse, tobacco use and safe mental health practices.
Protection of destitute and advocacy on their safety.

B.4. HIV/AIDS

Advocacy
Integration of PLWHAs in communities
VCT

C. EDUCATION

Child learning and Development Project
Empowerment of SMC, PTA to enhance effective teaching and learning.
Girls’ enrolment, retention and progression.
Support for needy students.

OTHER NON-THEMATIC AREAS OF INTEREST:

D. PEACE PROMOTION AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Capacity building on mediation
Conflict management

E. LOCAL GOVERNANCE

Monitoring GPRS and HIPC
Empowering unit committees and other local structures to demand their rights from districts assemblies.
Encourage assemblies to adopt and use PRA and Access Base Community Development as tools for community development.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the organisation include the following:

• To create general awareness on HIV/ AIDS subject and other diseases that will threaten the development of the country

• To facilitate the empowerment of existing and new institutions at community, district, regional and national levels that will promote good governance and proper representation of women, by women and for women.

• To work with the poor, powerless and generally the marginalised and/or the excluded to have their voices heard and their rights recognized.

• To enhance the opportunity of the poor and marginalised to have access to quality basic education.

• To encourage and facilitate dialogue between young people, children, parents and policy makers

METHODOLOGIES USED BY NORSAAC

The main strength of the organisation is advocacy and community mobilization. It encourages the following approaches in its activities.

Participatory Rural Approach
Rights Based Approach
Access Base Community Development

Some specific tools used as guide.

Community Capacity Enhancement Methodology designed by UNDP.
Stepping stone Methodology designed by Action Aid and partners
Journey of hope designed by John Hopskin University
Oxfam designed gender manual
Violence Against Women Manual
National Malaria Control Strategy document designed by Ghana sustainable change project (GSCP) and Ministry of Health.
CIDA gender guides (Manual).

Other Important documents which serve as guide.

Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategic Document.
Millenium Development Goal
UN convention on the Rights of the child
Constitution of Ghana
Domestic Violence Bill.

Gender Clubs In All Teachers Training Colleges In Northern Region

2007-06-11T17:06:00.000-07:00

Radio Justice
Regional News of Wednesday, 20 April 2005

The concept of gender continues to be considered by many as ambiguous and in most instances, it is being referred to women. While some see gender as solely issues of women, others perceive it to represent women. This has brought about the establishment of many gender activist groups focusing on women issues, which to some gender analysts is the bone of contention. Gender, according to Oxford Advanced learners dictionary, refers to male and female, but due to its attribution to women by many, its meaning continue to remain ambiguous. As a result of this, many people continue to misconstrue the functions of gender advocates as to whether they champion the course of female, male or both sexes. Prominent among issues on gender being championed even at national level is the issue of girl-child education. A gender analyst rhetorically questioned that, if all efforts are geared towards girl-child education, what becomes of the boy-child education in future. This, according to many, arguably epitomises the concept of gender as perceived by many activists in that direction.

To help correct this misconception, a nongovernmental organization, Northern Sector Action on Awareness Centre, NORSAAC, is to train 50 gender activists and establish them in each of all the training colleges in the Northern region by the end of this year. This was disclosed by the Executive Director of NORSAAC, Madam Hafsah Sey Sumani at a gender Workshop for teacher trainees in Tamale. According to her, gender campaign does not discriminate against men, but rather create a uniform platform for both men and women. Madam Hafsah Sumani cautioned against the widening of disparity between men and women, saying it does not auger well for development and called for the reverse of the trend. NORSAAC has so far established over 30 clubs in basic and Senior secondary schools in the region. The clubs campaign on HIV/AIDS, Gender, Peace, Reproductive Health Education and Child rights.

Link to Original Story

NORSAAC donates 300 bikes to needy and marginalized groups up north

2007-06-11T17:03:00.000-07:00

The Chronicle
November 3, 2007

The Northern Sector Action on Awareness Centre (NORSAAC) in partnership with Pro-Link Ghana has donated 300 bicycles to some needy and marginalized school children, widows and women groups in the Northern Region.

The Bicycle Distribution Project, which started in 2004, has assisted over 900 children and less privileged women in the Northern and Upper East Regions to enhance and reduce their transportation predicaments.

This is the third time in two years the organization has exhibited such gestures. This outstanding initiative by NORSAAC and its partner organization, Pro-link Ghana, was influenced by the difficult situations of some school girls in the rural areas of the Region go through before reaching their schools.Some of the school children are reported to walk for several miles to and from school, which eventually discourages over 60% of the children to drop out of schools before their final years.

The NORSAAC gesture is impacting positively in the lives of the beneficiaries and also promoting quality education by way of sustaining the girl child in school.

Some of the beneficiary groups and organizations of the NORSAAC bicycle project include: the Girls Growth and Development (GIGDEV), Centre for Promotion of Youth Development and Empowerment (CPYDE), Enterprising Women in Development (EWD), Mariam International JSS and RAINS of Ghana.

Others were: RASUL International, DAWA Academy, Some selected Students in Nanton, Action for Needy Children and Women Development and NORSAAC School Clubs of some selected schools.

Meanwhile, some school girls, widows and alleged witches at the Gambaga Witches Camp in the Northern Region through Pro-Link and Presby Church Go Back Home Project, have benefited from these two benevolent organizations.

However, the Associate Director of NORSAAC, Mr. Alhassan Mohammed Awal asserted that the Management of the Go Back Home had failed to report to NORSAAC and its partners to facilitate subsequent supports. Mr. Awal therefore threatened that his organization would not continue its partnership with organizations that would not exhibit trust and credibility.

He however announced his organization’s readiness to increase the packages of organizations that would strictly follow and abide by the rules and regulations binding the bicycle project and urged the beneficiary groups to ensure proper maintenance of the bikes for longer use. Presenting the items, the Board Chairman of NORSAAC, Alhaji A.B. Yakubu warned the beneficiaries from selling the bicycles since it was given out to them on humanitarian grounds and appealed to parents of the recipients not to use the bikes for their farming activities.

The Board Chairman revealed plans of NORSAAC to establish bicycle maintenance centre in the Northern Region to ensure proper maintenance of the bikes. The centre would also provide employment and skill training to the unemployed youth in the Region.

The Northern Regional Programme Manager of Action Aid International Ghana, Mr. Yakubu Mohammed Saani assisted the NORSAAC Board Chairman in the presentation.

A beneficiary student, Ms Mariam Gyimah of Mariam International School on behalf of the beneficiary groups thanked NORSAAC and Pro-Link Ghana for their kind gesture and appealed to her colleagues to make good use of the bikes to enable their juniors take over after they had completed.

Link to Original Story
See Photos of the Bike Donations