Ghana to hold seminar aimed at increasing NGO capacity to fight HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria

The African Grassroots NGO Capacity Building Seminar -- scheduled for Sept. 15 to Sept. 17 in Accra, Ghana -- aims to increase fundraising and program implementation capacity of 60 nongovernmental organizations in Africa working to address HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria on the continent, This Day reports.

During the seminar -- sponsored by Friends of the Global Fund Africa, Afrinvest West Africa, Access Bank and the United Nations Foundation -- NGOs will be able to strengthen coordination and networking activities with donors, which is expected to lead to increased advocacy efforts and improved program design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. In addition, the seminar's organizers will provide a six-month support period following the event to track participants' progress.

Akudo Anyanwu-Ikemba, CEO of Friends Africa, said the seminar aims to build the capacity of the 60 participating health-focused NGOs "that have roots on the ground and actually reach the people." She added that participation in the event is competitive and that event organizers received nominations to participate in the event for nearly 400 NGOs in 32 African countries (Ogbonnaya, This Day, 8/26).