STAR-Ghana Foundation has engaged stakeholders from two beneficiary communities as part of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Community Livelihood Enhancement project. The meeting   discussed potential livelihood interventions for beneficiaries and the selection of a panel responsible for choosing those beneficiaries. The consultation brought together traditional leaders, district assembly officers, and leaders of women and youth groups from Pulmakom and Namoo in the Upper East Region.

Eunice Agbenyadzi, Head of Programmes at STAR-Ghana Foundation, noted that the success of the project’s first phase in Paga, Pusiga, and Kulungungu prompted IOM to support its replication in three new districts with similar contexts. She emphasized that the project’s focus on community livelihood enhancement is crucial for economically bolstering the resilience of communities—especially young men, women, and other vulnerable groups—against the influence of violent extremist organizations (VEOs). The project aims to strengthen social cohesion and mitigate the economic factors that VEOs exploit to recruit individuals into radicalization and violent extremism.

Participants unanimously identified dry season farming as the primary livelihood activity, which is challenged by the lack of water access during the dry season. One woman leader highlighted the exacerbation of this issue due to climate change: “We have been relying on rains during the rainy season, but now, the rains do not come like they used to. We are not able to get enough produce like we used to.” The construction of communal mechanized boreholes and irrigation systems was proposed as a solution to improve water access for farming activities. Additionally, a nine-member committee panel was selected to identify beneficiaries.

The Pulmakom District Director for the Department of Agriculture expressed the department’s full support for the intervention, while the Chief of Namoo assured the Foundation of the community’s commitment to a transparent and unbiased selection process. Frederick Nuuri-Teg, STAR-Ghana Foundation’s Northern Ghana Projects Manager, encouraged the communities to fully utilize the interventions to build resilience against violent extremist groups.