STAR-Ghana Foundation joined the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in a week long virtual celebration of the African Union Day of the Child, peaking it with a Ministerial Briefing on 16th June 2020 at the Ministry of Information Press Centre.

16th June is observed every year in recognition of the children who lost their lives while fighting injustices in Soweto, South Africa in 1976. This year’s celebration coincides with the 30th Anniversary of the African Union Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC). The theme for the celebration is ‘Access to Child-friendly Justice in Ghana’.
Stakeholder were unanimous in the view that Ghana’s child justice system needs invigoration to meet the principles and protocols set in the ACRWC, and to safeguard children and protect their rights. The briefing also explored the impact of COVID-19 on children.
Speaking at the briefing, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Cynthia Morrison said:
"Providing child-friendly justice systems is critical for any country’s growth and development, as for the welfare of its children… we will continue to amend the laws to protect children and improve on the policy environment’’.

Representing STAR-Ghana Foundation, Safia Musah, Programme Officer noted:
On this occasion, STAR-Ghana wishes all children in Ghana and Africa a very happy commemoration. Every child everywhere must fully enjoy their rights. We shall continue to partner the Ministry through the Department of Children to secure child rights in Ghana. Happy Africa Union Day of the Child!
Related projects
Parliament of Ghana Launches 2020-2024 Corporate Strategic Plan with support from STAR Ghana
The Speaker of Parliament Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye on Thursday 28th May 2020 officially launched the 2020-2024 Corporate Strategic Plan of the Parliament of Ghana at the Speaker’s Lounge, Parliament House. The strategic document on the theme “Corporate Strategic Planning as a tool for unlocking the capacity of legislatures” was developed with support by STAR Ghana Foundation. The brief ceremony coincided with a courtesy call on the Rt. Hon. Speaker by the STAR Ghana Foundation.

The Foundation, led by Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, Member of the Governing Council of STAR Ghana Foundation, was in the House to announce the completion of the partnership between STAR Ghana and Parliament under the Phase II of the STAR-Ghana Programme. The partnership which ended in April 2020 had a greater focus on achieving strategic and systemic level impacts through support to targeted units of the House.

Speaker of Parliament Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, delivering the keynote address eulogised STAR-Ghana Foundation for its immense contribution to the House and support to Parliament over the years. He appealed to the Foundation to continue to support and build the capacity of the Legislature. He indicated some of the gains of the partnership and expressed his appreciation to the Funders of the Foundation. He said:
"Indeed the partnership, has largely facilitated the capacity building of our institutional human resource, enhanced our engagement with civil society, and last but not the least: our responsiveness. Parliament is grateful to STAR Ghana and their financiers: DFID (UKAid), EU, and DANNIDA for their support”
Professor Audrey Gadzekpo on behalf of the Chair of STAR Ghana Foundation recounted a decade of partnership that has existed between the Foundation and the Parliament of Ghana. She expressed her hope for future partnership by indicating that::
“the STAR-Ghana Programme has effectively partnered Ghana’s Parliament since 2010 under both Phases of the programme and would continue to support the creation, utilisation, and institutionalisation of spaces for collective civil society engagement”
Recognition of Support
The Speaker of Parliament Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, on behalf of the Parliament of Ghana - flanked by the leadership of Parliament, presented a citation of honour to STAR Ghana Foundation in recognition and appreciation of the Foundation’s invaluable contribution to supporting committees of Parliament to undertake their core function of oversight and scrutiny over the Executive.

The citation read:
“STAR Ghana Foundation has distinguished itself as a worthy and reliable partner of the Parliament of Ghana in the pursuit of our joint aspiration of delivering transparent and accountable governance to the people of Ghana… The Foundation has also partnered Parliament in strengthening its institutional structures and procedural systems as well as building the capacity of Members and Staff of Parliament.”

In attendance were high-profile personalities of the House including the two Deputy Speakers, Majority and Minority Leaders, the House Whips, and the Clerk. Also in attendance were the Executive Director of STAR Ghana Foundation: Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu; the Acting Head of Policy and Programme: Teiko Sabah; and the Parliamentary Support Manager of the STAR Ghana Programme – Marian Kyei.

STAR Ghana Foundation responds to COVID-19, Outdoors six projects
STAR Ghana Foundation in response to the global call of support in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has launched a managed call to support selected CSOs to complement efforts by government and other stakeholders to prevent the spread of the virus, and mitigate the effects and risks of the pandemic on vulnerable and marginalised social groups.

The virtual launch, which formally outdoors the Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Projects was held on Tuesday, 28th April 2020 on the theme: `The Role of Civil Society in the fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic.` The event was streamed live on Microsoft Teams and on Facebook via the accounts of STAR Ghana Foundation and that of two major media partners: Citi Fm and Joy News Channel.
The Executive Director of STAR Ghana Foundation, Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu presented an overview of the project and expressed appreciation to the funders of the Project – Department for International Development (DFID), Ghana.
“In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic particularly in Ghana, STAR Ghana Foundation approached DFID our main donor for support, in order to work with other civil society partners to respond to the pandemic…to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on especially venerable people. With funding of approximately 4.8 million Ghana Cedis from DFID and other donors, STAR Ghana Foundation is working in partnership with other strategic partners, who will also work with a number of sub-partners to roll out the project across the length and breadth of this country”

He recounted the objectives of the STAR Ghana Foundation’s intervention as follows:
- Increase access to accurate, timely, inclusive and relevant information on Covid-19 and response actions
- Inclusion and active participation of GESI-groups in all stages of the pandemic fight (value-chain)
- Increase the transparency, responsiveness, and accountability around the development and implementation of Covid-19 response plans, including the utilisation of resources across the country
- Document and share the learning around CSO support in the Covid-19 response

Speaking on the theme: The Role of Civil Society in the fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic, Nana Asantewa Afadzinu, Executive Director of the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) proposed eight key solutions to the fight against the pandemic from the CSO front. These included the call for flexible partnership, better coordination, and collaboration among CSOs. She commended STAR Ghana Foundation for the initiative and called for the support of the government and the private sector in the implementation of the project.
“ We need to build partnerships between civil society and other development stakeholders, and have a broader understanding of who makes up civil society and how they could effectively work together… once again, let me commend STAR Ghana Foundation for this initiative. We call on government and the private sector to support this project”
Mr. Peter Yeboah, Executive Director of the Christian Health Association of Ghana, speaking on behalf of the project grant partners presented a statement of partnership. He expressed an appreciation to STAR Ghana Foundation and its donors for providing an opportunity and space for civil society to be actively involved in the fight against COVID-19.
“May I express my appreciation to STAR Ghana Foundation and its collaborators the UKAID for acting as a convenor, moderator, and partners for civil society inclusion in the fight against COVID-19."

The Chair of the Governing Council of STAR Ghana Foundation, Dr. Esther Ofei-Aboagye in her closing remarks expressed her gratitude to UKAID and all the partners and organisers of the event after she had shared a summary of her learning from the event. She said:
“Ladies and gentlemen, it has become abundantly clear from all the submissions that have been made in this room that there are things to be done. Three big things… education; decentralization of efforts; and mobilization of efforts and resources. Education is critical and we need to understand that there are people who are still in absolute denial… there’s a lot of of work to be done by decentralization of effort not only by government but even in civil society… we must work assiduously to get to the lowest level possible and this is where the principle of subsidiarity is very important. Anything that can be done at the community level, we should allow it to be done at that level and in that process we are able to utilise our resources optimally.”
The event was moderated by Teiko Sabah, Ag. Head of Policy and Programmes, STAR Ghana Foundation.
Update on COVID-19, A letter from Chair of Governing Council to all Partners
TO: ALL PARTNERS OF STAR GHANA FOUNDATION
Dear Partner,
STAR Ghana Foundation Updates to Partners on COVID-19
As you may be aware, the Government of Ghana has put in place progressively restrictive measures in the light of the COVID 19 pandemic. These restrictions are to limit the spread of the disease in Ghana and provide more time for a collaborative response. Whilst these restrictions are timely and welcome, they invariably have had far-reaching consequences on programme and project implementation timelines and expected outcomes. The Governing Council and Management of the STAR Ghana Foundation wish to update you on processes that have been put in place to respond to the government’s directives within the context of our partnership and work.
Staff Health and safety:
With effect from Monday 16th March, all staff of both the STAR Ghana foundation and STAR-Ghana programme have been working from home. Restrictions were relaxed for staff to work from the office on a shift basis. Key staff members are still available during normal working hours for support and information. They can be reached via their emails and their phone numbers. For further corporate information, kindly contact the following emergency numbers - 0209418556 and 0263010964 during working hours.
Call and Partner Project Management
All partner projects that have closed as at 28th February 2020 will remain closed. Ongoing project closeout processes will continue virtually. The M&E team and Finance teams have contacted individual partners to share online processes and timelines for project closeouts and follow up. We note the challenges partners have with sending files via dispatch riders. WE will continue to find innovative means to support the virtual process adopted.
All partner projects that have received project extensions up to 31st March will be re-evaluated with the possibility of a further one-month no-cost extension, i.e., up to 30th April 2020. Projects with further end dates, i.e., May 2020, must re-evaluate their activities in the light of the COVID pandemic and be realistic as to what is possible to be done within this period. We request that partners be innovative in planning activities that can still take place during these times. This may include holding online meetings and implementing all the safety protocols around face-to-face meetings. All activities should be reviewed with a focus on identifying those that are absolutely necessary for a good closure of the projects.
All other projects e.g. Elections Call partners, who have projects extending beyond May 2020 and under the STAR Ghana Foundation, will have their outward-facing activities and events put on hold for the month of April. We encourage partners to only focus on internal and planning activities such as website development, research, write-ups and publications, which do not involve public engagements. All Election 2020 projects to be re-evaluated by end of April to include a focus on COVID-19 response.
We are aware that the current policy environment is not conducive to election-related work, as political parties and the EC have put a hold on campaigns and ongoing elections processes. The general priority now is on fighting the COVID -19 Pandemic. We, as civil society, must be conscious of the current situation in implementing our project so that we are not seen as callous and uncaring of current trends. Our Grants Team will get in touch with further directives.
STAR Ghana Programme closeout
As per the contractual agreement between DFID and Christian Aid, the STAR Ghana programme’s closeout timeline of September 2020 remains unchanged. All agreed closeout activities have been re-evaluated in light of the ongoing restrictions. Call evaluation consultants have been recruited and will begin work on final Call level evaluations for the Anti-Corruption, Local Governance and GESI Calls. This work will be mostly online and based on reports partners have shared during project implementation timelines. Evaluators may get in contact with partners for further information via email or phone. We will update you on the final evaluators. Other key closeout activities such as thematic learning events have been suspended and will be re-evaluated on a regular basis.
COVID-19 Response
The STAR Ghana Foundation, in discussions with DFID, have agreed to reallocate a significant portion of grant budget underspends to a COVID Response Programme. The programme will focus on coordinating civil society responses to the pandemic with a focus on ensuring the most vulnerable citizens are supported in an empowered manner. Whilst this will be a closely managed Call, the programme will continue to share information with all partners on a regular basis. All our existing projects will also be re-evaluated to determine the extent to which COVID-19 responses can be mainstreamed.
Further, STAR Ghana is collaborating with the CSO Platform on the SDGs as part of a wider level of response to the COVID 19 Pandemic in Ghana. We encourage all our partners who are also part of the CSO Platform on the SDGs to join this civil society led response.
In these trying times, the Governing Council and Management of STAR Ghana Foundation will like to reiterate the foundation’s willingness and availability to work with partners to develop and implement strategies for the safety of their staff and the communities they support.
Best wishes,
Esther Offei-Aboagye
Chair, Governing Council