Penplusbytes’ builds capacity of NGOs, private sector on local philanthropy

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By Lydia Kukua Asamoah, GNA

Accra, Nov 27, GNA – Penplusbytes, a civic tech nonprofit organisation, under its “Yen Somu Bi” (let’s lend a helping hand) project, has held a pitch-and-fund event to connect non-governmental organisations (NGOs) focused on community development, to private donors.

Dubbed; the “Pitch for Change” project, the event, organised in Accra, saw NGOs working in the Education, Economic Empowerment, Water, Sanitation and Health (WASH) sectors across Ghana pitching their ideas and projects to donors.

The donors were mainly drawn from the private sector and the corporate social responsibility (CSR) departments of some state agencies.

In attendance were local philanthropic organisation donors and representatives from Vodafone Ghana Foundation, Pentecost Social Services, Margins ID Group, Ghana National Gas Company, and the National Lottery Authority’s Good Causes Foundation.

The event saw six selected NGOs; the Community Development Alliance (CDA Ghana), Hereafter Ghana, Ark Development Organisation, Resource Link Foundation Ghana, Celdar Foundation, and the International Child Development Programme, making presentations to the donors.

The donors, in turn, screened the pitched ideas and projects that aligned with their CSR goals and assured the NGOs of their support and partnership.

Inspiring the participants, Mr Jerry Sam, the Executive Director of Penplusbytes, said; “We want to build a relationship between NGOs and the private sector. Penplusbytes believes that through partnerships, such as this, a lot can be achieved.”

“On the first level, this is a perfect opportunity for NGOs to sell their ideas and projects to donors present, make them aware of some of the community needs, and on the other hand, have donors align their CSR objectives with community issues…”.

He said the STAR Ghana Foundation, a national centre for active citizenship and philanthropy, is partnering Penplusbytes to implement the “Yen Somu Bi” project.

The project ideas presented by the NGOs focused on diverse thematic areas.

The CDA-Ghana, for instance, aims to construct two delivery rooms for the Konzokala Community in the Upper West Region, whereas My-Here-After Ghana’s project focuses on providing 100 dual desks and learning materials to basic schools in the Tolon District of the Northern Region.

The Ark Development Organisation, whose philanthropic work is centered on health and education in the Eastern Region, seeks to provide marginalised communities with library and ICT units while educating adolescents on their reproductive health.

Research Link Foundation Ghana, on the other hand, appealed to donors to support the construction of a training and processing centre for women in bee keeping.

The International Child Development Programme, Ghana proposed ‘The Future is TVET’ project, aimed at equipping school dropouts in hard-to-reach communities with vocational skills, while the Celdar Foundation is embarking on addressing pregnancy and HIV among teenagers in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region by establishing a Skills Development Hub.

The donors expressed excitement at the innovation of the NGOs and promised to support their projects, saying the various projects present a mutually beneficial situation to deliver wholesome projects to community members.

The Yen Somu Bi project seeks to shed light on domestic philanthropic giving, using an innovative research-linked fundraising and advocacy platform.

Penplusbytes is an organisation driving change through innovations in key areas like technology and good governance, climate and well-being, new media and the extractive sector.

STAR Ghana Foundation, on the other hand, is a national centre for active citizenship and philanthropy, working towards the development of a vibrant, well-informed and assertive civil society.

GNA

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