Rockville, Md. – Ghana has halved the number of its citizens living in poverty and improved chronic malnutrition rates. However, the country’s northern region is home to 75 percent of its poorest citizens, and food insecurity there remains high. To improve nutrition and resilience outcomes for northern Ghana’s most vulnerable groups—particularly women of reproductive age, adolescent girls, and children under 5—USAID has awarded Abt Global a five-year, $21.9 million contract to manage the Resilience in Northern Ghana (RING) II systems strengthening activity.
Through RING II, Abt and three Ghanaian partner organizations—Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA), Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), and Youth Advocacy on Rights and Opportunities (YARO)—will deliver technical assistance to support the region’s systems strengthening, citizen engagement, and stakeholder coordination. The team will also improve public-private coordination across the agriculture, health, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sectors, complemented by USAID government-to-government funding. Throughout, Abt will expand gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) by ensuring programs account for GESI in communities, and by mentoring members of vulnerable populations to take on leadership roles within implementation teams.
“We’re delighted to bring to RING II Abt’s intersectional capabilities and our proven approach to enhancing local governance systems, catalyzing access to social services, and transforming institutional capacities to scale service delivery,” said Bettina Brunner, Abt’s acting regional vice president for West Africa, Middle East and North Africa. “Our team looks forward to working with USAID and Ghana’s public and private sectors to bolster the resilience of vulnerable populations in the north.”
About Abt Global
Abt Global is a global consulting and research firm that combines data and bold thinking to improve the quality of people's lives. We partner with clients and communities to advance equity and innovation—from creating scalable digital solutions and combatting infectious disease, to mitigating climate change and evaluating programs for measurable social impact. https://www.abtglobal.com
Contact:
Stan Crock
stan_crock@abtassoc.com
(301) 347-5402