By Tilda Acorlor
Stakeholders, development partners, and young people gathered for the Young and Safe Learning Forum, marking the completion of a three-year youth development initiative in the Ho Municipality, the Volta Regional capital.
The event, held on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at the NAGRAT Hall, brought together members of the Young and Safe network to assess the project’s impact, reflect on lessons learned, and explore strategies for sustaining gains made.
Young and safe is a project designed to make Ho a youth friendly city. It’s part of Healthy Cities for Adolescents-II program funded by Fondation Botnar, managed by Ecorys UK and implemented in Ho by a consortium made up of Node Eight, LoveAid Foundation, Ho Municipal Assembly and Ghana Education Service, Ho.
Speaking at the opening session, spokesperson for the Ghana Education Service at the Ho Municipal Directorate, Elvis Kofi Bomasah, said the Young and Safe Project has introduced a shift in the project’s approach from designing interventions for young people to designing with them.
He noted the importance of inclusive and peer-led platforms that promote active youth participation, as well as the role of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) systems in improving programme outcomes.
Project Manager and Executive Director of Node Eight, Brian Dzansi provided an overview of the initiative, tracing its evolution from concept to implementation.
He noted that interventions such as youth engagement platforms and community-based programmes have led to increased participation, strengthened community relationships, and improved well-being among young people.
Mr. Brian Dzansi, described the forum as not only a moment of reflection but also a step toward sustained action, with a focus on partnerships, systems strengthening, and youth-led solutions.
Presenting findings from the project, MEL Lead Joanna Kwame disclosed that 138 young advocates had been trained, while over 5,000 listeners were reached through the youth-focused Y-Radio Show. Additionally, more than 6,000 young people participated in various community engagement activities.
According to her, the data indicates growing confidence among young people and their readiness to take on leadership roles, stressing that “the system needs to catch up” with their progress.
A panel discussion on sustainability emphasised the need to transition project achievements into long-term community impact, particularly through the integration of mental health education in schools.
The forum also featured the launch of the Fafa App, a mobile mental wellness platform developed by Node Eight.
The application is designed to provide anonymous support and access to verified counselling services, addressing stigma and barriers to mental health care among young people.
The Young and Safe Project, implemented over three years, has empowered adolescents and young people in Ho through initiatives aimed at promoting participation, wellbeing, and community engagement.
These include the Young and Loud Festival, Ho Wellbeing Index, Policy Hackathon, Youth Leadership and Advocacy Training, Virtual Reality and Robotics Training Bootcamp, Young and Safe Club, Y-Radio Show, Youth Park, Node X, and Jesi Code2Job
