SEND Ghana — civil society organization advocating on food security, nutrition, health policy, and budget transparency in Ghana.
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Joy Online
… SEND GHANA, a policy research and advocacy organization focused on promoting good governance and gender equality, said it continues to work closely with the International Budget Partnership to advance fiscal governance reforms and improve budget accountability in Ghana.
Ghana’s budget transparency score plunges to 22% in 2025 Global SurveyJoy Online
… This ecosystem is fortified by the specialized expertise of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), AV Ventures, SEND Ghana, and Enterprise Life, which provides tailored insurance solutions to de-risk the financial landscape for rural actors. …
Building Economic Resilience: How FILMA is creating dignified livelihoods in rural GhanaDaily Guide
… This ecosystem is fortified by the specialized expertise of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), AV Ventures, SEND Ghana, and Enterprise Life, which provides tailored insurance solutions to de-risk the financial landscape for rural actors. …
Building Economic Resilience: How FILMA is Creating Dignified Livelihoods in Rural Ghana In the landscape of rural development, the transition from subsistence to sustainability is often cited as a goal; however, it is rarely measured with the precision of a fintech operation. Reflecting on the insights shared during the inaugural Financial Inclusion for Last Mile Actors (FILMA) Learning Event at the Accra Marriott Hotel, which hosted over 230 stakeholders, it is clear that the “last mile” is no longer the end of the road, but rather the starting point for systemic economic transformation. A scene during one of the community engagements Program Context: A Multi-Partner Vision For Rural Ghana Implemented by Temple Investments in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, FILMA is a four-year, multi-partner initiative (2024–2028) designed to empower 100,000 young Ghanaians. The program specifically targets young women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) by providing access to affordable credit, inclusive financial services, and market opportunities. Central to this mission is the Last Mile Actor (LMA), defined as the essential yet often overlooked players at the end of the agricultural value chain. This demographic primarily comprises young women, youth, and PWDs serving as smallholder farmers, processors, and traders. These actors have historically been excluded from formal financial systems due to systemic barriers: a lack of traditional collateral, limited financial footprints, and the high perceived risk of rural enterprises. The program operates with a precise mandate: ensuring that 70% of LMAs are women and 5% are persons with disabilities, focusing its efforts across 18 districts in the Volta, Oti, Bono East, and Northern Regions. To achieve this scale, the program is driven by a strategic consortium led by Temple Investments, providing strategic leadership and managing the Catalytic Facility for Inclusive Finance (CFIF). This ecosystem is fortified by the specialized expertise of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), AV Ventures, SEND Ghana, and Enterprise Life, which provides tailored insurance solutions to de-risk the financial landscape for rural actors. More than just an intervention, FILMA serves as a critical test case for a high-impact sustainability model. It marks a definitive departure from traditional grant-based modules, aiming instead to transform agricultural and agri-adjacent value chains, including production and the introduction of emerging technology, into self-sustaining hubs of economic resilience. Solid Evidence: Operational Milestones and Alternative Livelihoods Two years into the four-year program, FILMA’s data reflects deep structural changes. The program has enrolled 77,868 LMAs; representing 78% of the total life-of-project target, and successfully transitioned 44,476 youth into dignified and fulfilling work, with young women making up 90% (40,028) of this total. Additionally, 2,151 persons with disabilities are actively participating in the program’s pathways. The average monthly income of an LMA has more than doubled, rising from a baseline of GH¢1,334 to GH¢2,793, while the portion of LMAs able to self-secure a financial product has jumped from 3% to 38%. Crucially, the program is de-risking rural life by introducing microinsurance and promoting diversified, non-traditional income streams to hedge against agricultural volatility. To date, this includes specialized training and equipment distribution for 1,099 individuals in beekeeping, 500 in mushroom production, and 2,661 in dry-season vegetable production. Voices from the Last Mile: The LMA Youth Panel A powerful session at the forum brought five last-mile actors to the stage to share their real-world transformations. Sakina, a young participant, described how saving was once a distant dream, as she struggled to manage the small allowances provided by her parents. Following the financial literacy and saving guides provided by the program, she began consistently saving 30% of her funds, turning a dream into an active, empowering daily practice. Gifty, a university graduate, shared how she turned to mushroom farming in the Oti Region due to the scarcity of formal employment. Although she managed to build a basic farming structure using her national service allowance, she lacked the capital to purchase compost and spawn. Initially dismissing Voluntary Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) as groups meant only for older community members, Gifty joined the program, mobilized other young people, and formed a VSLA. The collective savings from this group provided the critical capital needed to purchase compost and launch her commercial operations, highlighting how local, structured savings can bypass traditional borrowing barriers. Redefining the Ecosystem: Systemic Debates and Institutional Commitments The final stakeholder panel confronted the harsh economic realities facing rural and local producers. Caleb Edwards, Managing Director of WAMI AGRO, offered a sobering view on the impact of import liberalization, pointing out that local producers struggle to compete with importers backed by cheaper foreign capital, subsidies, and tax exemptions. He shared that local companies have faced six-figure impairments due to these policies, forcing a local rice farm to let go of 18 workers, and emphasized that credit access will fail without corresponding market protection and hedging strategies. Addressing lending risks, panel representatives from Absa and Maroon Capital discussed the necessity of digital lending to offset last-mile delivery costs, but warned of a culture of default that led to a bank taking a 32 million GHS impairment. They called for a unified shift in borrower mindset toward “contractual faithfulness” and robust data literacy. These provocations led to critical institutional commitments. The Central Bank representative pledged to move beyond simple gender‑balance metrics to develop and launch an active, value-chain-wide inclusive policy specifically for women by mid-2027. The Ministry of Finance committed to crafting highly actionable, solution-oriented policies within the upcoming National Financial Inclusion and Development Strategy (NFIDS). Concurrently, disability advocates and WAMI Agro announced a collaborative framework with international disability facilitators to train financial institutions on accessible services, ensuring local PWD structures are intentionally integrated into future outreach. The Women Behind the Work: From Survival to Destiny “For us at Temple, these women are not a video. They are the reason we are here. They are not characters in a story; they are the story,” noted Cecilia Hesse, Managing Director of Temple Investments, during her opening address. Her words underscored a fundamental shift in how development is measured: moving away from distant spreadsheets toward the lived realities of the women who are the bedrock of the nation. She also shared a proverb that captures the resilience of the program’s target demographic: “Even if the housefly has nothing, it rubs its hands together in anticipation.” This spirit of preparation and work is what FILMA seeks to harness. By recognizing the brilliance and drive of these women, the program ensures they no longer have to struggle just to survive, but are instead empowered to build a lasting destiny for their families and communities. A FILMA beneficiaryBusiness & Financial Times
SEND Ghana is calling on government to speed up the distribution of seeds, fertilisers and other farm inputs to farmers as the planting season begins, warning that delays could affect food production and threaten food security. …
Delays in farm input distribution threaten planting season- SEND GhanaMore than 90 percent of Ghana's tracked family-planning expenditure in 2024 was financed by development partners, while the Government of Ghana accounted for approximately 9.48 percent, raising questions about sustainability when external funding ends.
2 October 2026 · Joy Online →
More than 90 percent of Ghana's tracked family-planning expenditure in 2024 was financed by development partners, while the Government of Ghana accounted for approximately 9.48 percent, raising questions about sustainability when external funding ends.
2 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The Ministry of Health and SEND Ghana have launched a campaign for mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on packaged foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats, citing rising childhood obesity and non-communicable diseases driven by unhealthy diets and lifestyles.
24 September 2026 · The Chronicle →
The Ministry of Health, with SEND Ghana and other stakeholders, has launched a mass media campaign to promote front-of-package warning labels and help Ghanaians make informed food choices. The campaign addresses the burden of non-communicable diseases—including hypertension, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases—which account for nearly 45% of deaths in Ghana, and aims to raise awareness of health risks from excessive sugar, salt and unhealthy fats, with particular focus on preventing unhealthy diets in children.
17 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Health experts and nutrition advocates have called on Ghana's media to promote mandatory Front-of-Pack Warning Labels on processed foods, citing growing prevalence of ultra-processed food consumption linked to rising rates of Type 2 diabetes and hypertension in children as young as 12. The proposed labels would warn consumers of products exceeding safe thresholds for fat, salt, and sugar.
1 July 2026 · The Chronicle →
Media editors in Accra are being urged to champion the introduction of mandatory Front-of-Pack Warning Food Labels on processed foods, with health experts warning that the nation's growing consumption of ultra-processed foods is driving disease in both adults and children. A nutrition expert noted that children as young as 12 are now being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, conditions barely seen in that age group a decade ago.
27 June 2026 · The Chronicle →
According to the latest Open Budget Survey released by SEND Ghana, Ghana scored 22 out of 100 on the transparency index, placing it among the lowest-performing countries out of 82 nations assessed globally. The poor performance is attributed largely to limited and delayed publication of key budget documents.
25 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Oxfam in Ghana has donated medical equipment and essential drugs worth GH¢1.5 million to the Kasoa Polyclinic to strengthen maternal and reproductive healthcare services, as part of the Power to Choose Project, a seven-year initiative implemented in partnership with several organizations and funded by Global Affairs Canada through Oxfam Quebec.
25 June 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
Oxfam in Ghana has donated medical equipment and essential drugs worth GH¢1.5 million to Kasoa Polyclinic to strengthen maternal and reproductive healthcare services, as part of the Power to Choose Project, a seven-year initiative implemented in partnership with organisations including the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana.
24 June 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
A coalition of civil society organisations has backed the Constitution Review Committee's environmental reform proposals, which include entrenching a public trust doctrine vesting minerals, water resources, and public lands in the people of Ghana with the State holding them in trust. The groups are pressing government to publish a clear roadmap and timelines for the constitutional reform process amid Ghana's worsening illegal mining crisis.
23 June 2026 · The Chronicle →
Ghana's budget transparency rating fell from 46 percent in 2023 to 22 percent in the 2025 Open Budget Survey, placing it below the sub-Saharan African average of 38 percent. The decline is attributed to delays in publishing budget documents, which the survey says undermines public scrutiny and accountability in the management of state resources.
11 June 2026 · Business & Financial Times →
Ghana's budget transparency score fell from 46 percent in 2023 to 22 percent in 2025, according to the International Budget Partnership's Open Budget Survey, placing the country below the Sub-Saharan African average of 38 percent. The decline is attributed to delays in publishing critical budget documents, though the country showed modest improvements in public participation and state oversight.
9 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Implemented by Temple Investments and the Mastercard Foundation, FILMA is a four-year initiative (2024–2028) providing young women, youth, and persons with disabilities access to affordable credit, inclusive financial services, and market opportunities in rural Ghana.
4 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Temple Investments' four-year FILMA initiative (2024–2028) has enrolled 77,868 last-mile actors—primarily young women, youth, and persons with disabilities—across 18 districts, more than doubling average monthly income from GH¢1,334 to GH¢2,793 while transitioning 44,476 youth into dignified work and raising financial product self-uptake from 3% to 38%.
4 June 2026 · Daily Guide →
SEND Ghana is calling on government to speed up distribution of seeds, fertilisers and other farm inputs to farmers, warning that delays could affect food production and threaten food security. The organisation said farmers in the Northern, Oti, Volta and Bono East regions have not yet received inputs under the Feed Ghana Programme, and most MMDAs have not received the inputs needed for onward distribution.
25 May 2026 · Business & Financial Times →