The newly established STAR Ghana Foundation is already getting busy engaging members of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and others in the local business community to build support for its mission to promote active citizenship in Ghana.

The STAR Ghana Foundation will explore funding opportunities from Ghanaian philanthropy and the private sector to support the work of civil society organizations across the country.

Representatives from the AGI, Social Impact Africa, and Western Regional Coastal Foundation met with the STAR Ghana Foundation to celebrate its recent launch and pledge their support.

During a panel discussion on the theme ‘The bridging role of the Foundation, active citizenship and engagement with the private sector; harnessing business leadership for active citizenship’, the business community agreed that Ghana is ready to fund its own development instead of solely depending on overseas donors.

Mr. Seth Twum-Akwaboah, CEO of the AGI, said what STAR Ghana Foundation was seeking to do was “a first in Africa since we must not continue to depend on charity as a country. ‘The Foundation must also present its case very well to attract organizations that have money to spend on corporate social responsibility activities,” he added.

He said the Foundation must be careful not to use money alone as a yardstick but also draw on the skills of various groups of people to sustain it.

Social Impact Africa’s Anatu Ben Lawal explained that “STAR Ghana Foundation’s relationship with the AGI, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, would be very important. A lot of projects have been done in charity but not through strategic partnerships like STAR Ghana Foundation,” he said.

He added that an agenda on philanthropy must be strongly driven by bringing together all stakeholders to scale up the project.

AGI member Rockson Dogbegah said the Foundation’s activities must be targeted to the right audience and aggressively advertised to achieve its aims.

Amidu Ibrahim-Tanko, programmes director of STAR-Ghana, explained that since 2010 its impact had been unmatched and asserted that the Foundation would now work assiduously with civil society for the Ghanaian people.

‘We want to ensure that all voices in Ghana are heard by decision makers both at the local and national levels,’ he said.

Mr. Tanko added that US$70 million (GHS348 million) had been earmarked for various initiatives across Ghana, focusing on gender and social inclusion, inclusive governance, media and the right to information. Other areas included accountable service delivery and anti-corruption, active citizenship, civil society, and sustainable philanthropy.