Youth Advocacy Workshop Empowers 200 Students in Tamale

JKAID Hope Foundation's Advocacy & Awareness team delivered a three-day workshop series across four senior high schools in Tamale, reaching over 200 students with training in childhood health rights, early disease recognition, and community advocacy skills. The program, titled "Young Voices for Health," ran from 6 to 8 January 2026.

The workshops were designed to equip young people with the knowledge and confidence to advocate for health screening in their own communities. Sessions covered the basics of common childhood illnesses in Ghana — including sickle cell disease, childhood cancers, and malaria complications — alongside practical advocacy techniques such as public speaking, petition writing, and social media campaigning.

"These students are the future health advocates of the Northern Region," said JKAID's Advocacy Program Lead. "By giving them the tools to identify early warning signs and speak up for children in their communities, we are building a grassroots network that can push for systemic change."

Each participating school nominated five students to form a "Health Champions" club that will continue advocacy activities throughout the academic year. The clubs will organise peer education sessions, coordinate with local health centers for school-based screenings, and run awareness campaigns during key health awareness dates.

A standout moment of the program was a mock community health forum held on the final day, where students presented health advocacy proposals to a panel of local health officials, traditional leaders, and JKAID staff. The winning proposal — a plan to establish free monthly health check-ups at Tamale's largest market — is now being evaluated for implementation.

The workshop series included practical first-aid training delivered by volunteer nurses from the Tamale Teaching Hospital, as well as a storytelling session where parents of children who had benefited from JKAID's medical support shared their experiences.

JKAID plans to expand the "Young Voices for Health" program to schools in the Upper East and Upper West Regions in the second half of 2026, with the goal of training 1,000 student advocates by year end. Schools interested in hosting a workshop can contact JKAID's education team through the Foundation's website.