Before the Flood: Building Resilience in Accra
Prevention must start before the water arrives
For many of us in the Ghanaian diaspora, Accra is more than a city.
It is home. It is where our families live, where many of us grew up, where we have memories, friends and roots. Even when we live thousands of kilometres away, our connection with Accra and with Ghana remains strong.
But for many communities in the Greater Accra Region, heavy rainfall can quickly become a serious threat.
When the rain comes, streets can become flooded, drains can overflow, homes and businesses can be affected and children may struggle to reach school safely. For families who already have limited resources, even a single flood can have consequences that continue long after the water has gone.
This is why we believe that we cannot wait for the next emergency before we act.
We need to work on prevention.
source: Joynews
From awareness to action
GhanaVi APS, together with our local partners Buz Stop Boys and GYEM – Ghanaian Youth Empowerment Movement, is developing a disaster risk reduction project in five flood-prone areas of the Greater Accra Region: Lapaz, Ablekuma Curve, Kaneshie, Mallam and Kasoa.
These communities face different challenges linked to flooding, waste accumulation, drainage and other local vulnerabilities. The project will work directly with communities, young people, schools and local stakeholders to better understand these risks and identify practical ways to reduce them.
The approach is simple: listen to communities, understand the risks and work together on practical solutions.
Through participatory workshops, residents, young people, schools and local stakeholders will share their experience of flooding, drainage problems, waste accumulation, unsafe routes and other vulnerabilities. This information will feed into participatory risk maps, helping identify the areas and issues that require the greatest attention.
The findings will also be shared with community leaders, schools, NADMO and other local authorities, creating opportunities to connect community knowledge with local preparedness efforts.
Young people as part of the solution
Young people will play an active role throughout the project.
They will take part in training and awareness activities and will be encouraged to become promoters of prevention and community resilience, sharing information with their peers and supporting local preparedness networks.
Where appropriate, they will also contribute to community alert and sentinel activities, helping strengthen connections between people before and during emergencies.
From mapping to practical action
The mapping process will help communities identify where action is most needed.
One of the main practical activities will be the cleaning and removal of waste from critical points identified through the mapping. In areas where waste blocks drainage systems, this can contribute directly to reducing the risk of flooding.
These activities will be carried out with community members and volunteers, with the support of Buz Stop Boys. The project aims to implement at least 10 practical disaster risk reduction actions based on priorities identified together with the communities.
Why your contribution matters
To make this project possible, we need to raise €6,000 through our crowdfunding campaign.
The campaign follows an “All or Nothing” model, meaning that we must reach the full target for the funds to be used.
Every contribution therefore matters. A small donation, together with many others, can help turn community ideas and identified priorities into concrete activities.
€6,000 can help unlock something bigger
The crowdfunding target is also an important requirement of the D4CAFS programme. If we successfully reach €6,000 the programme conditions are met, GhanaVi will be able to access the subsequent IOM - Italy contribution of up to €60,000 to implement the wider project.
This would allow us to extend the work over the planned 12-month period, reaching more schools, young people and community members while strengthening training, awareness, participatory mapping, local preparedness networks and practical risk reduction activities.
Your donation is therefore not only a contribution to this campaign. It is the first step towards making a much larger initiative possible.
This is about our communities
At the heart of the project are the people who know these communities best.
Young people, schools, families, volunteers and local leaders will have an opportunity to contribute their knowledge, identify priorities and take part in solutions.
The partnership brings together GYEM's experience in youth engagement and community awareness, Buz Stop Boys' experience in community mobilisation and practical activities, and GhanaVi's connection with the Ghanaian diaspora in Italy.
Together, we want to strengthen a culture of prevention in which communities are better informed, better connected and better prepared before a disaster happens.
Together, we want to contribute to a stronger culture of prevention and preparedness.
source: Bus Stop Boys
Before the flood
We often think about disasters when they happen.
We see the images of flooded streets, damaged homes and people trying to recover.
But disaster risk reduction asks us to think earlier.
What can we do before the water comes?
Can we identify the dangerous areas?
Can we understand why flooding happens in particular places?
Can we prepare young people and communities?
Can we improve awareness?
Can we work together to reduce some of the risks?
We believe the answer is yes.
But we cannot do it alone.
We need you.
Our goal is €6,000.
If you can donate, please do.
If you cannot donate, you can still help by sharing the campaign with your family, friends, church, community, colleagues or anyone who may want to support this initiative.
Every share can reach another person.
Every contribution brings us closer.
And every person who joins us becomes part of something bigger.
🇬🇧 Read the full English article and support the campaign:Before the Flood: Building Resilience in Accra
🇮🇹 Leggi la campagna in italiano e sostieni il progetto:Prima dell'alluvione: insieme per proteggere Accra – Italiano
Let's work together before the flood.
Donate. Share. Get someone else involved.
Before the flood, together.
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