NGOs need adequate resources to fill development gap – Dr Ocra

Dr Ben Ocra, the President of the Ghana Philanthropy Forum, has called on government to adequately resource Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and regulatory institutions to function effectively to help fill the development gap.

He said the philanthropic sector played a crucial role in filling the developmental gaps where government was limited and, therefore, must be well supported and positioned.

Dr Ocra made the call at the Fourth National Philanthropy Summit held in Accra, which was attended by more than 300 delegates from across the country.

The two-day summit brought together development professionals, actors in the public and private sectors, and non-profit entities to engage and strategies towards improving philanthropic work, which is the third sector of the economy.

The forum also presented the opportunity to participants to assess the impact of philanthropic work on society, and to showcase new models of civil society advocacy.

Dr Ocra said despite the crucial role played by NGOs, they faced a myriad of challenges including proper structuring and relevant policies to enable them to thrive.

He admonished them to be strategic in their role of complementing government’s efforts at developing society by engaging in projects to make an impact on the people.

Mr Isaac Ofosu Debrah, the Coordinator of SDG Philanthropy Platform, UNDP Ghana, said philanthropic foundations played important roles in development and sponsored ventures that government or some private entities were uncomfortable to fund.

He said over the past two years, philanthropy in Ghana had been shifting to a more structured and strategic approach with the emergence of the SDG Philanthropy Platform.

“The Ghana Philanthropy Forum, African Women Development Fund, STAR Ghana and many corporate foundations are doing impressive social investments across the country,” he said.

Mr John Majisi, the Member of Parliament for Krachi Nchumuru, and a Board Member of Inclusion Ghana, an NGO, said mutual and well-documented partnership agreements must be attained between government and stakeholders.

“Proper documentation should be put in place to track the contributions in addressing national policies and development initiatives,” he said.

Mr Majisi appealed to NGOs to be more visible in deprived areas of the country rather than focusing on areas already receiving government services and interventions.

He expressed gratitude to the Ghana Philanthropy Forum and STAR Ghana Foundation for organising the summit to address issues and find solutions to the changing face of philanthropy.

He commended individuals and international donors for their continuous support of various socio-economic, cultural and political services and interventions, which, otherwise, could not have been attained.