RAINS

Community action for the restoration of the Mid-Volta ecosystem.

Regional Advisory and Information Network Systems (RAINS) was established in 1996 by a group of development activists in Northern Ghana to deal with contemporary problems of development. It is committed to the underlying conviction that development is by rather than for people.  Communities are therefore involved in all stages of their work from programme inception through implementation to evaluation.

The project will work with communities in the mid-Volta River Basin, which extends from Daboya to Sheri at the confluence of the Black and White Volta Rivers. It aims to increase the understanding of which factors have had a negative influence on the ecosystem and the lives of the people. Through a dialogue within the communities with the Elders long term strategies will be mapped out to enable the people of the region to adopt more sustainable farming and fishing methods and to promote reforestation of native plant varieties. The project will also provide legal training to strengthen the communities coping mechanisms when dealing with government on management of resources within the basin.

“The announcement of the grant brought a lot of hope back to the people as they almost all said: We are pleased that some people are showing concern for our lives. They are giving us back our lives that were almost devastated by the latest floods” For RAINS this was received with a lot of excitment as it boosted our efforts to reach and respond to peoples’ real needs.” RAINS