AYA PARTNERS AND PROJECTS

To accomplish its mission, AYA works with a range of agencies, charities and community-based organizations. The following represent several of the larger projects in which AYA Ghana is engaged.

Center for the Development of People (CEDEP)
In partnership with AYA, CEDEP focuses on out-of-school youth in the five AYA districts of Ashanti and Upper West regions. This youth-driven and community-led project mobilizes young people through youth leaders, groups, and associations to reach out to their peers on ASRH issues with a focus on changing behaviors and increasing use of services. CEDEP will use strategies such as community-based life-planning skills education, peer outreach, and advocacy and will link with service providers such as Planned Parenthood of Ghana, the Christian Health Association of Ghana, the District Health Management Teams/District Health Services, and the District Assembly.

Christian Health Association of Ghana
The Christian Health Association of Ghana is an group of religious-based health institutions with 128 health facilities, which contribute 35-40% of the country's health services. AYA will improve the Association's capacity to provide youth-friendly services by training staff and strengthening current health delivery systems of member institutions at health facilities. Integrating youth outreach programs into the main activities of member institutions will also be a priority of the Association.

FIDA Ghana
FIDA Ghana is an affiliate of the International Federation of Women Lawyers. In partnership with AYA, the group will advocate to reform traditional laws and customs that affect ASRH.

Ministry of Education/Ghana Education Service
The Ghana Education Service of the Ministry of Education will provide in-school youth with information and skills related to ASRH. The Ghana Education Service will use the following strategies: co-curricula activities (eg, role-plays, drama, guided discussions); counseling; age-appropriate life-planning skills education (age groups 10-12, 13-15, and 16-20); and motivational activities for students, teachers and other collaborators to create interest, ownership, and efficient management of the work. In addition, the Service, with Ministry of Health personnel, will hold regular community health durbars to make people aware of the available youth-friendly health services.

Ministry of Health/Reproductive Health Unit
The Ministry of Health, with facilities in all AYA districts, is well positioned to reach significant numbers of youth through facility-based youth-friendly services that can be sustained after the end of the AYA project. The Reproductive Health Unit of the Ministry will strengthen its referral system, develop youth-friendly service sites, and put a comprehensive training program in place for service providers based on the ASRH training curriculum approved by the government.

National Youth Council
The National Youth Council is a statutory government body charged with implementing the government's policy on youth. Over the years, the Council has become expert in mobilizing youth and implementing youth-focused projects. Under AYA, it will promote the government's adolescent policy. In addition, they will promote ASRH outreach through training peer and non-traditional condom distributors at selected football games, parks, youth associations, and other venues where young people congregate. A related activity of the condom promoters will be to encourage young people to seek sexual and reproductive clinical health services.

National Population Council
The National Population Council is the highest statutory body set up to advise the government on population and related issues. For AYA, the Council will coordinate implementation at national, regional, and district levels through existing institutional structures.

Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG)
PPAG is the principal AYA partner to develop and strengthen outreach programs linked to facility-based activities at both PPAG's own service delivery sites and those of the Ministry of Health. PPAG is responsible for selecting, training, mentoring, and supervising community-based ASRH service providers, including peer providers and non-traditional distributors. PPAG will also conduct a range of behavior change communication activities in 16 districts. Youth promoters will deliver ASRH information, advocate on ASRH issues, provide peer education and other outreach services, as well as conduct community advocacy activities.

PPAG will integrate ASRH and life-planning skills training into livelihood development skills programs for youth (aged 15-24) in three districts (Accra Metropolitan Area, Kumasi Metropolitan Area, and Akuapem-North). In addition to implementing project activities directly, PPAG will support other community-based organizations to implement activities in about 15 AYA districts. As project activities are implemented, the Association will work with the community organizations to increase their ability to conduct ASRH programs, particularly related to behavior change communication.

Population Impact Project
The Population Impact Project is based at the University of Ghana and does periodic population-related surveys. Survey results are published in advocacy booklets for policy makers. With AYA, the Project will conduct ASRH surveys and use the data to lobby national-level policy makers.

Voluntary Services Organization
The Voluntary Services Organization will address the need for behavior change among in-school youth in the districts of Wa, Nadoli, Akuapim North, and Cape Coast. The Organization will contribute to the reduction and spread of HIV and AIDS and other STIs through increasing youth knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes towards safer sexual practices. Specifically, they will build the capacity of schools to provide ASRH information by training volunteers and sensitizing head teachers to ASRH needs, and conducting planning workshops. Other strategies include peer education; referrals for information, guidance and counseling; mass media; and extracurricular activities such as debates, quizzes, drama, and HIV/AIDS awareness sessions.

Collaboration with Other Stakeholders
AYA plans to link up with all in-country partners and the District Assemblies in its districts. This will establish a strong collaboration between AYA, local partners, district governments, and the Regional Population Advisory Committee to enhance integration and links of ASRH program implementation in the country. At the community level, AYA will work with local steering committees, whose membership includes chiefs, opinion leaders, and youth. Collaborating with stakeholders will ensure effective implementation of the AYA program in Ghana.