Community members opening bank account as

part of requirements for accessing loans from the

community development fund and also to save

money

The Ga mashie locality is a poor urban slum which is faced with deprivations that slum communities are usually faced with. Most of the buildings

in the community are of poor quality and some houses are risky to accommodate. Housing facilities and services are generally inadequate and

hence heavy reliance on public utilities and services. This however has implications for the communities development, in terms of provision of

social facilities and allocation of other resources to it as well as pressure on existing facilities. The issue of lack of adequate funding, as cited by

many state organizations, and especially the AMA, leaves many communities not getting the needed support to undertake projects that have

been captured in the needs assessment and prioritization process. This in a way leaves communities to witness low or no developments at all

within their communities.

Improving lives and businesses of the urban poor in the Ga-Mashie

Community

A Community Managed Fund, carefully planned, effectively implemented and appropriately managed, can lead to significant improvement in the

welfare of slum dwellers, the cumulative effect of which can lead to enhanced human development. A community fund is not a panacea or a quick

fix. The key to human development-community friendly governance is to ensure that the voices and concerns of the poor, especially women, help

guide its design, implementation and monitoring.

The CDC outlines priority projects and serves as a medium for the community to negotiate with city government, guide investment of the

community’s resources and attract extra funds. It is hoped that, with the existence of the Community Development Committee, the Ga-Mashie

community can solicit for support from sources within the community, the sub-metro, private sector and NGOs for developmental projects

identified.

The CDC will facilitate the improvement of the community’s governance, poverty, and environment within the community. Creating enabling

environment and institutional framework at these levels using participatory approaches develops the capacities of local democratic institutions,

especially locally elected governments, as well as national agencies tasked with supporting them. It will also strengthen citizen participation and

community empowerment. This in a way also facilitates partnerships among various actors, brokering knowledge, resources and ensures

sustainability in projects to be implemented.

As part of activities under the PSUP project implemented within the Ga mashie community, a community fund has been established to assist with

the development and upgrading of the community. The Ga Mashie Development Committee (CDC) which comprises of elected committee

members of various interest groups within the community was duly inaugurated and given the mandate to govern the community fund. The

mandate is for two years for which the committee members will be maintained or replaced by the interest groups they represent. The

Development committee interviewed a number of banks within the country to select the bank that represents the ideas of the CDC. Finally GN

Bank which is referred to as the peoples bank was selected to partner the CDC in the management of the community fund.

The CDC using the participatory approach have provided support to three community based organization (CBO) to undertake and implement

community prioritized projects. The provision of support to CBO’s is to empower organizations within the Ga-mashie community, whilst solving

community needs. The projects were selected due to its sustainable principle by design.

The CDC has also provided soft loans to about 200 direct beneficiaries to improve upon their businesses and livelihoods. The indirect

beneficiaries of the interventions number up to over 1000 residents of the Ga-mashie community.

The Project Coordinator at the Ga Mashie Development

Agency addressing the community on the PSUP and the

community development fund.

Some Community members in attendance at the

community forum and launching of the community

fund

The CDC has a long term vision of managing the community fund in a more transparent and inclusive manner. It also envisions to attract

additional funding which will enable it to develop the Ga-mashie community in a more meaningful and impactful manner. It also have an

objective to have a Ga-mashie community bank which will ensure financial inclusion of the informal sector, for the economic growth of the

community.

The state of the two bath houses before it was refurbished.