STAR Ghana

STAR Ghana is managed by a consortium led by Christian Aid, with Humentum, Social Development Direct, Overseas Development Institute, Nkum Associates and On Our Radar. 

It is a £22m programme funded by UK aid, the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the European Union (EU), and runs from 2015-2020.

In late 2018, STAR began a two-year transition from a multi-donor funded programme to an independent Ghanaian-owned and led national entity, called the STAR Ghana Foundation.

STAR-Ghana’s goal is to develop a vibrant, well-informed and assertive civil society able to contribute to transformational national development and inclusive access to high quality, accountable public services for all Ghanaian citizens.   

STAR-Ghana is providing a comprehensive, coordinated and strategic push to enable citizens to hold leaders to account by:

• Convening Ghana's civil society
• Coordinating and leading in carefully analysed and selected thematic areas where civil society is not currently able to engage
• Connecting the dots between grassroots interventions and policy level organisations, Parliament, and by engaging the public through the media and social media. 

These actions will be backed up by facilitating partnerships and grant funding. 

The Christian Aid-led consortium is committed to a transformational vision for STAR-Ghana, in which it seeks to establish itself as a Ghanaian-owned and led entity with a central role in mobilising active citizens and civil society around accountability.   

The programme had a six-month inception phase (October 2015-March 2016) that has informed the programme design and implementation. A political economy analysis identified key power relations at work and the political context. 

In March 2016, STAR-Ghana made 31 awards worth £556,674 to media organisations and CSOs working to promote peaceful, credible, issues-based and inclusive elections in the 2016 Ghana Presidential and Parliamentary elections. 

In November 2018, STAR-Ghana will begin a two-year transition to a independent Ghanaian organisation called the STAR Ghana Foundation.

The foundation's vision is of a well-informed and active Ghanaian citizenry able to contribute to transformational change that advances democracy, accountability and social inclusion.

It aims to increase the effectiveness of citizens and civil society to achieve an equitable, inclusive society by convening inclusive dialogue and collaboration; catalysing active citizenship and collective action; coordinating and supporting strategic partnerships; and facilitating continuous learning to fuel wider scale change.

The STAR Ghana Foundation will set out to establish itself as a national centre advancing active citizenship and philanthropy for sustainable, inclusive development. Gender equality, social inclusion, partnerships and learning will be integrated into all that the foundation does.

The STAR Ghana Foundation belongs to the people of Ghana, creating platforms for ordinary people, particularly the most marginalised in society, to become active citizens who demand positive change in their lives and communities.

Its ultimate goal is to ensure all citizens, regardless of gender, disability, age or location, are empowered to participate in decisions and raise concerns. The foundation will continue to support a vibrant civil society to engage constructively with government and drive forward a transformative development agenda that will leave nobody behind.

The foundation believes that a vibrant civil society has the power to unlock transformational and lasting solutions to Ghana’s development challenges. Ghana has a strong tradition of civil society organisations working to better the lives of citizens - active citizens are the key to a better future for ALL Ghanaians.

It works to advance a healthy, functioning and inclusive democracy, human rights and active citizenship. It is non-partisan and works with others to ensure that democracy works for all Ghanaians. The foundation supports initiatives aimed at making elections peaceful and focused on issues that matter to all citizens. It works with civil society organisations to connect their interests with others and help to ensure all voices are heard by decision makers, both local and national.