What we do
Advocacy
Goal
To have a strong political and financial support for children and youth issues that recognise the importance of young people’s diversities and promote their involvement at all levels of decision making.
Activities
Since 1996, we have embarked on several advocacy activities across the country. Notable among them are our weekly radio and television programmes that address social, cultural, policy and legal issues affecting children by calling on duty bearers to take action to protect and guarantee the rights of children and young people. We use other channels such as print magazine and social media to addresses those issues.
We have also represented children and young people at national (Ghana), regional (African Union) and international (United Nations) spaces where critical decisions are taken for children and youth.
Capacity Building
Goal
To equip all members, staff and volunteers of Curious Minds with relevant knowledge and skills in the field of children and youth development in order to have a full understanding of such issues and ensure effective and efficient implementation of all activities of the organisation.
Activities
Curious Minds’ work is deeply rooted in regular capacity building of members, staff and volunteers of the organisation as well as young people from other likeminded organisations who share similar passions.The capacity building sessions helps the organisation to be better positioned to deliver on its mandate. To this end, Curious Minds has an established mechanism for regular internal capacity building of members, staff and volunteers through a system of peer learning where older and more experienced members of the organisation train new and younger ones. Beyond these internal training sessions, periodic capacity building activities are organised with external facilitators/trainers on specific thematic areas to ensure an effective delivery of our mandate.
The capacity building sessions cover all aspects of children and youth development with particular attention to areas around our Thematic Focus. Since 1996, we have provided varied capacity building opportunities for children and youth across the country. These capacity building avenues includes trainings, workshops, seminars, conferences as well as meetings. Over ten thousand (10,000) young people have since 1996 benefited from capacity building programmes of the organisation in areas such as those outlined be below:
- Advocacy
- Child Rights
- Basic Broadcasting and Communication Skills
- Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (including HIV and AIDS)
- Comprehensive Abortion Care
- Results-based Management
- Budget Planning and Tracking
- Millennium Development Goals
- International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and its Programme of Action (PoA)
- Development of Medium Term Development Plans.
- Children and Youth related Legislations, Charters, Conventions and Policies (including the Children’s Act of Ghana, African Youth Charter, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, National Youth Policy of Ghana etc)
- Curious Minds also participates in other capacity building programmes organised by other organisations at the national, regional and international levels.
Communication
Goal
To use the media as an effective tool to generate discussions, share information and communicate the development challenges of young people as well as promote their issues for appropriate recognition and attention at all levels of leadership in Ghana and across Africa. It is also the organisation’s aim to have a strong organisational identity that is recognized at the national, regional and international levels and has influence in relevant processes.
Activities
Curious Minds is primarily a media-based organisation, as such our activities are deeply rooted in the media and involves the production of seven (7) different weekly radio programmes and one (1) television programme produced and presented by young people and broadcast in English and other local languages targeting children and youth as well as policy makers and duty bearers. We have since 1996 used radio and subsequently other media platforms to amplify the voices of children and youth and promote their development issues. Our approach to young people’s advocacy and development is unique in Ghana, one of a few in Africa and a celebrated global best practice.
Organisational Development
Goal
To make Curious Minds a strong, independent, efficient and sustainable organisation where all members are equipped with the necessary skills and competencies for effective participation in decision making processes and are consistently active towards the fulfillment of the organisation’s mission.
Activities
Curious Minds thrives on the energies, knowledge, skills and abilities of its members, staff and volunteers.Hence, there is a deliberate effort to continuously recruit and build the capacity of all human resources needed to empower them in order to achieve the organisation’s goals. Members, staff and volunteers of Curious Minds have been involved in building the capacity of young people in other organisations and have themselves played key roles in the formation and running of various networks and initiatives aimed at advancing the cause of young people at the community, national and international levels.