SOCO Facilitators Ready to Unite Communities, Drive Development in North East

By – Sadat Dabo 

Newly recruited community facilitators under the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project have expressed strong commitment to promoting peace, social inclusion and community development across the North East Region

The facilitators made the commitment during a three-day training workshop being held from October 7 to 9, 2026, at the ICBERG Guest House in Nalerigu

The training is designed to equip the newly recruited community facilitators with the knowledge and skills needed to mobilise communities, promote social cohesion and support the implementation of development initiatives

Speaking in an interview, Issah Abdul-Rashid, a community facilitator for the Gambaga Cluster in the East Mamprusi Municipality, expressed gratitude to the government and SOCO for entrusting them with the responsibility

He said the opportunity would be used to bring people from different backgrounds together, particularly marginalised groups, wealthy individuals and other sections of the community, to promote peace and unity

“It is a great honour that they have given us this opportunity to serve our people. We will do all we can to bring our people together and ensure that everybody is on board.”

Mr. Abdul-Rashid said the facilitators were determined to justify the confidence reposed in them

He therefore called on his colleagues to take the training seriously and use the knowledge acquired to make a meaningful impact in their communities

For Abota Vivian, a community facilitator from Wulugu the SOCO project presents an opportunity not only to promote social cohesion but also to draw attention to critical development challenges confronting residents

She identified poor road infrastructure, inadequate market facilities and overcrowding in schools as some of the major concerns in her community

According to her, the road linking Wulugu to Nabari requires urgent attention, while the local market also needs improvement to enhance economic activities

She further appealed for additional classroom infrastructure at a junior high school in the area, explaining that the school currently operates with only one stream and is becoming increasingly congested

“If we get another stream, there will be A and B, and it will help to reduce the pressure on the school,” she said

Ms. Vivian said she was excited to work with SOCO and expressed hope that the project would contribute to addressing some of the challenges confronting communities

Facilitators welcome opportunity

The two facilitators described their recruitment as a significant opportunity to serve their communities while gaining practical experience in community mobilisation and social cohesion

They said they were particularly grateful to the government and SOCO officials for selecting them and pledged to work diligently to achieve the objectives of the project

The three-day training in Nalerigu forms part of efforts by SOCO to strengthen the capacity of community facilitators to effectively engage residents, promote inclusion and contribute to peaceful and sustainable community development across the North East Region

Source – gbcuraonline.com