The past two weeks have been busy for Youth Alive in our recent work with bringing a peaceful election in Ghana this year.
Thanks to funding from STAR-Ghana, on March 15th Youth Alive had its first meeting with street youth leaders at the Tizza. The youth leaders came from the Abaobo market, the central bus stop of Tamale and the Metro Mass Station. This meeting equipped them with the knowledge necessary to inform the youth about the upcoming election and the importance of voting. Topics covered were the concept of democracy, why voting is important, and the reasons and processes behind the biometric voting registration system.
Thanks to funding from STAR-Ghana, on March 15th Youth Alive had its first meeting with street youth leaders at the Tizza. The youth leaders came from the Abaobo market, the central bus stop of Tamale and the Metro Mass Station. This meeting equipped them with the knowledge necessary to inform the youth about the upcoming election and the importance of voting. Topics covered were the concept of democracy, why voting is important, and the reasons and processes behind the biometric voting registration system.
Key Speakers at the conference included Alhaji Saani Abdul-Razak, the Metro Director for the NCC, Steven Azantilow, Lawyer for the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and Francis Opoko, the Metro Director of the Electoral Commission. Youth Leaders were encouraged to voice their questions and concerns to the speakers, especially regarding biometric registration because of its unfamiliar process.
1. Democracy: "Demos," meaning 'people' and "Kratia" meaning 'rule.'
2. Going over the registration process
3. One of the women at the meeting asks a question and gives feedback.
4. After all this talk about politics, it's time for a lunch break.
5. Participants of the first street youth leader meeting in Tamale for ending political campaign violence.
6. Every participant received a badge to identify them as part of the Youth Alive program.
Youth Alive continued its efforts for the Election 2012 campaign later with a community forum in Tamale on the 24th of March. This forum was centered in areas highly concentrated with vulnerable youth, such as the Abaobo Market, central Tamale bus stop, and the Metro Mass Station. The forum was centered here in order to reach youth known to be most susceptible to manipulation by political party members.
The forum targeted a diverse group of individuals. At the central Tamale bus stop, participants were formed mainly by young individuals, those who work as porters. Present at the forum in Abaobo, were many street youth leaders (those who oversee the work and well-being of the street youth in the markets). At the Metro Mass Station, participants of the forum were mostly women.
The forum targeted a diverse group of individuals. At the central Tamale bus stop, participants were formed mainly by young individuals, those who work as porters. Present at the forum in Abaobo, were many street youth leaders (those who oversee the work and well-being of the street youth in the markets). At the Metro Mass Station, participants of the forum were mostly women.
The forum covered many of the topics brought up at the Tizza meeting earlier in the month, but in its delivery, it is hoped to achieve a greater impact through a more direct approach: public conversation between the street youth with support from experts in Ghanaian government and politics.
Before leaving, pamphlets and brochures with crucial information regarding the biometric registration process were distributed, so as to continue to spread information throughout the community after the end of the forum. 
1. Alhaji answering some of the boys' questions on the truck-mounted loud speakers. (STC, Tamale)
2. Showing off the brochures.
3. A street youth leader at Abaobo market speaks to Alhaji Sannni.
4. The group at the Abaobo forum.
5. A great number of the participants at the Metro Mass Station forum were female.
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