SOCO Trains 120 Community Facilitators in Upper East to Drive Community-Led Development

By – Sadat Dabo

The Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project has begun a three-day training programme for 120 newly recruited community facilitators in the Upper East Region, aimed at strengthening community participation and improving the implementation of development projects

The training, being held from October 5 to 7, 2026, at Premier Lodge in Bolgatanga, is equipping the facilitators with knowledge and skills in community participation, social projects and effective project implementation strategies

Speaking at the training, Alhassan Osman, Community-Driven Development and Capacity Building Specialist at the SOCO Project, said the facilitators would play a critical role in ensuring that communities actively participate in identifying, designing and implementing projects meant to address their needs

 

 

He explained that SOCO is implemented through clusters, with four clusters established in each district and eight community facilitators engaged in each district

According to him, the Upper East Region has received the largest share of the 382 community facilitator positions created under the latest cycle, with 120 facilitators deployed across all 15 districts

The other regions benefiting are the Upper West with 88 facilitators, Northern 62, North East 48, Savannah 32 and Oti 32

Training to strengthen community participation

Mr. Osman said the training is necessary because the facilitators are expected to mobilise and sensitise communities, as well as supervise and monitor the implementation of SOCO-supported projects

“For the communities to be aware of these rules and execute them properly, they need community facilitators well-trained to sensitise them and train them so that they can participate effectively in project implementation,” he said

He said the facilitators would serve as an important link between the project and beneficiary communities, ensuring that communities remain at the centre of decisions concerning development interventions

120 jobs created in Upper East

Mr. Osman also highlighted the employment opportunities created through the recruitment, particularly in the Upper East Region where the long dry season often limits agricultural activities

He said the income earned by the facilitators could be invested in businesses, education, research and alternative livelihood activities such as dry-season gardening

He believes these opportunities can help reduce economic vulnerabilities that could expose young people to recruitment by violent extremist organisations operating in neighbouring countries

He added that additional employment would be created for young people through the engagement of unskilled labour during the construction of physical projects under the programme

Facilitators to serve for two years

Mr. Osman disclosed that the newly recruited facilitators would be engaged for two years, replacing an earlier batch whose contracts had ended

He urged the facilitators to take the training and their responsibilities seriously and use the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to development in their respective communities

He also appealed to the media to continue monitoring the implementation of SOCO projects and draw attention to challenges that need to be addressed to ensure the programme achieves its objectives

Source – gbcuraonline.com