Development in Focus - Additional Information

The mission of the organisation is to mobilise resources and stakeholders to empower poor vulnerable women, youth and children, to realise their own development. Integrated Development in Focus (DIF) was formed and inaugurated as a capacity building social development agency involved primarily in poverty reduction, preventive health education, reproductive health, rural/urban development, capacity building and the development of networks. The organisation is interested in the health, socio-economic needs of these people and aims to assure the future of children, youth and poor women in deprived, underserved and hard to reach areas, locally and internationally.

It promotes models of participatory, sustainable and self-reliant development through action and research. This is mostly achieved through community education, behavioural change communication (BCC), training, outreach activities, skills development and peer education, using drumming, dancing and interactive drama/theatre as a means of communication to transfer information to women, children and youth issues as well as sensitise stakeholders on factual reproductive health issues and preventive heath.

Realising the importance of good health as well as that of a sound environment, DIF have outlined programmes and policies that promote the health and socio-economic welfare of poor vulnerable women, children and youth, which are fundamental to their development and vital for survival. DIF works with communities, intermediary organisations and strategic institutions, to develop participatory approaches for their work. The organisation assists communities to work effectively within their established traditional processes of collective problem solving. It also helps communities to establish mechanisms to manage their productive resources. A decade of experience in grassroots development has shaped and informed DIF’s strategy in working with community-based organisations, church agencies and international organisations. These include the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), UNFPA, School of Medical Laboratory Science, CEDEP, CENCOSAD, the Centre for National Culture, the Hope for African Children Initiative (HACI), and the Ghana Health Service (GHS), District Assemblies as well as Members of Parliament. Currently, DIF employs 5 people, all with relevant specialist skills, who are supoorted by a host of volunteers.

Since its establishment, it has implemented numerous programmes and activities both locally and internationally. It is well respected for its contributions to the raising of awareness in preventive healthcare, reproductive health, human rights-based approaches, capacity building, STD/HIV/AIDS and monitoring support to community-based organisations. Furthermore, in partnership with CENCOSAD, this NGO has provided skills-training in hairdressing, catering and dressmaking to 32 members of its girl-child group. Currently, with support from HACI, DIF has expanded its work to cover orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in the Korle Wonko electoral area of Ashiedu Keteke, Greater Accra Region.
Furthermore, thanks to its rich experience in community development, mobilisation, animation, organisation, sensitisation and awareness-creation using participatory strategies, participatory methodologies and capacity building, DIF was contracted by the Ghana Health Service to develop effective communication strategies and the creation of appropriate linkages from the community level to the health facilities for school- and community health in the Volta Region. DIF is currently in partnership with the Ghana Health Service's National Tuberculosis Control Programme, Ghana AIDS Commission and the Accra Metropolitan Authority.