Naadu Honors Ghana’s Informal Sector at Accra Future-Now Video Awards
First place winner Groupore Farouk (left), a resident of Nima in Accra, shakes hands with Former First Lady Dr. Ernestina Naadu Mills.
The Daily Graphic, a leading newspaper in Accra, Ghana, recently published a story about the African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET) – one of six Informal City Dialogues grantee organizations.
ACET celebrated the Accra Future-Now Video Awards last week and welcomed former first lady Dr. Ernestina Naadu Mills, who delivered a speech advocating support for Ghana’s informal sector.
“The voices of communities in the informal sector are important to us because there seems to be an invisible dividing line which keeps millions of people in unregulated jobs and housing, unseen and without access to support from the formal economy,” said Dr. Mills at the awards ceremony.
Groupore Farouk accepts his award as Former First Lady Dr. Ernestina Naadu Mills and ACET’s Dr. Sheila Ochugboju look on.
Her remarks echoed the vision of the Informal City Dialogues project, which is working to tell the stories of citizens whose lives straddle the informal urban realm and the formal city around them.
Aiming to spark new conversation, ACET’s video competition gave Ghanaian residents of three slum communities the opportunity to voice their concerns about the city.
Groupore Farouk Arongo, a 19-year-old student of Accra High School, took home the top prize for his video (below) about changing the perception of education in Nima.
“Most of the people in this community do not see the relevance for education. They think education is just about going to school and learning how to work and money,” said Arongo. “Education is about transformation.”
An advocate for education, Arongo believes that only through community investment will people become empowered to transform their own community.
Over 70 residents of Accra participated in the video competition. Watch more winning videos on our YouTube playlist here.
Accra Beat
Accra’s local media is exploring themes from the Informal City Dialogues almost daily. Below is a roundup of news direct from Ghana.
Naadu advocates support for informal sector | The Daily Graphic
Former first Lady, Dr. Ernestina Naadu Mills advocates for the informal sector at an event hosted by the African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET).
Into A Thriving Coconut Business In Ghana: | The Chronicle
Daniel Nonor talks with Kojo Baah, operator of a booming roadside coconut juice business.
The Right To Information And The Right To Water In Ghana | The Chronicle
Joseph Kingham Ochill with the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative contributes an op-ed about irregular water supply in Ghana.
A Daily Quest for Water in a City Running Dry | Informal City Dialogues
The ubiquitous “Gallon” water tank can be seen everywhere in Accra, a constant reminder of the city’s struggle to stay hydrated — and the failures of its political leaders.
