The Informer is the product of the "Journalism, Creative Writing and RSH" Club of the Lady Volta Resource Centre. 

Get to know the centre and the NGO, Village Exchange Ghana.

 

Lady Volta Resource Centre: RSH and Youth Empowerment

The Lady Volta Resource Centre (LVRC) was launched in October, 2006, in response to VEG research indicating the critical need for improved RSH programs in Ho Municipality. The LVRC is a centrally-located community site where young adults and teens can access educational / IT resources, participate in youth clubs and activities, and receive counseling in sexual health issues.

Through creative learning in a safe space, the program aims to help young people foster a strong sense of identity and to value their agency for change. Coupled with the provision of accurate RSH information, this approach promotes the development of well-adjusted, informed young adults who have the tools to make responsible decisions about their sexual health.

With the support of dedicated staff and volunteers, the LVRC has grown significantly in recent years to include a number of outreach programs in villages throughout the Volta Region. With the continued expansion of on-site and outreach programs, VEG aims to reach a growing number of young people in need of RSH education and support.

Village Exchange Ghana (VEG)

Village Exchange International/Ghana (VEG) strives to empower Ghana’s most marginalized women by employing a holistic approach to poverty alleviation. Our organization operates at the intersection of healthcare, education, and economic opportunity to address the multiple facets of poverty and to provide meaningful, comprehensive support for women in rural Ghana.

Founded in 2002 by two individuals dedicated to development and women’s issues, VEG has since leveraged the experience of local and international experts and volunteers to provide professional, research-based programs. VEG’s efforts have flourished through strategic partnerships with local organizations, traditional leaders, and international entities, such as the United Nations Population Fund.

VEG aims to continue creating life-changing opportunities for the women of rural Ghana, enabling them to raise themselves out of poverty and become powerful agents of change.

Our Mission

To promote the self-actualization of Ghana's disadvantaged women through three pillars of intervention:

• Poverty alleviation strategies, including microfinance and small-enterprise development

• Reproductive and sexual health programs

• Quantitative and qualitative research on women's health issues

 

VEG’s Microfinance Institute

Microfinance is the provision of small loans to low-income populations who would otherwise lack access to formal financial services. By providing access to capital within a structured program, microfinance allows clients to grow their small businesses, build savings, and improve their standard of living.

Increasing women’s access to capital through microfinance is an essential component of VEG’s empowerment program. We offer two types of loans – Income Generating Activity (IGA) and Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) loans – to address women’s varying financial needs.  Both IGA and SME loans are based on a progressive lending structure, which serves a dual purpose.  First, it allows the growth of the client’s business to follow a natural progression, better ensuring sustainability with each new loan.  Second, it reduces VEG’s risk, as only the most reliable clients are eligible for larger loan amounts.

VEG adopts a holistic approach to microfinance by integrating non-financial services into the loan package.  Clients expand their knowledge and skill set in programs covering literacy, reproductive health, and business development.  Business skills training includes savings mechanisms, bookkeeping strategies, and marketing skills, among others.

 

Lady Volta Beads and Batik

In our second poverty alleviation program, VEG acts as the entrepreneur, providing market research, product chain development, and infrastructure development to businesses maintained by local female artisans. Two current businesses supported by VEG are Lady Volta Beads and Lady Volta Batik.  Both projects aim to fulfil the twin goals of fostering young women’s entrepreneurship and financial independence in a responsible and sustainable manner. 

In launching both projects, VEG hopes to improve the lives of women in poverty, particularly teenage mothers.  We provide an innovative combination of income-generating activities, education, and financial services.  For example, VEG provides regular training in literacy, numeracy, and business development, as well as life skills including early childhood nutrition, sexual health, family planning, and self-esteem for female workers.

 

Research-Based Health Initiatives

Encouraging responsible reproductive and sexual health is an important means to promote the empowerment of women, improve gender relations, and ensure that women have equal educational and professional opportunities. 

VEG conducts comprehensive research to ensure that client-centred health programs effectively address the unmet needs of young women. Our staff is versed in founded research methods and seeks to produce quality, up-to-date, reliable data.  Examples of research-based initiatives include the Takla Gbogame Teenage Pregnancy Awareness Program and a Qualitative Survey Amongst Young Mothers of Ho Municipality.

As an Implementing Partner of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), VEG’s foremost research-based initiative led to the creation of the Lady Volta Resource Centre (LVRC). LVRC offers counselling and information on sexual and reproductive health issues to youth under 26 years old.  Centrally located in Ho Township, the LVRC provides a range of in-centre and outreach programs to promote behavioral change and responsible decision-making amongst youth regarding their sexual and reproductive health.