Civic education football gala unites communities in Eastern Region

In an innovative approach to grassroots civic education, community members have turned the football field into a classroom for peace, unity and national cohesion, using sports as a powerful tool to strengthen democratic values and peaceful coexistence.

The event was organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in partnership with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and with financial support from Global Affairs Canada’s engagement to strengthen community awareness on Sexual and Reproduction Health and Right (SRHR) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) continued unabated in the Upper Manya Krobo District.

In an effort to continue creating awareness of Sexual and Reproduction Health and Right (SRHR) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV), the NCCE organised the football game as a practical civic engagement platform to bring young people, community members, parents, leaders and other stakeholders together to discuss issues affecting adolescent health and right, gender equality and the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV).

The intervention, which culminated in a thrilling football tournament, brought together diverse groups within the community to promote dialogue, tolerance and civic responsibility. The initiative demonstrated that civic education extends beyond lectures to practical platforms that foster interaction, mutual respect and collective identity.

Ms Kathleen Addy, Chairperson of NCCE, explained that the tournament, organised as part of a broader civic education programme focused on promoting cohesion and peaceful existence, featured competitive but friendly matches between local teams.

She said the commission and stakeholders used the universal language of football to break down social barriers and reinforce messages of unity in diversity, respect for rules, and the importance of collective effort for community development.

Ms Addy stressed that girls and women are vulnerable in society; therefore, there is the need to protect them against all forms of abuse and violence, and advised the adolescents to take good care of themselves by abstaining from all forms of sexually related activities that may jeopardise their physical and reproductive health.

She commended the United Nations Population Fund and Global Affairs Canada for their support in helping to realise these goals.

The NCCE Chairperson added that to eradicate teenage pregnancy from our communities, effort should not only be centred on the girl child but on the men as well, and explained that pregnancy comes as a result of the involvement of two individuals (male and female); as such, there is the need to equally educate the boy or man on abstinence.

She concluded by advising the football players to exercise caution and play with decorum so that the programme can come to an end in peace.

In attendance were the NCCE Eastern Regional Director Ms Ophelia Nana Yaa Ankrah and her deputy, Asesewa District Police Commander Chief Superintendent Benjamin Buxton; Ms Jenifer Dugbazah, a midwife and in charge of Otrokper Health Centre; the media; Dadematse; and Queen Mothers.

At the end of an exciting contest marked by sportsmanship and community spirit, Otrokper FC emerged as champions. The team was presented with the first position trophy and gold medals in recognition of their outstanding performance and discipline on and off the field.

Ochirebentoa FC put up a spirited performance to secure second place and were presented with second-place medals, applauded for their resilience and fair play.

Ms Ankrah explained that beyond the trophies and medals, the real victory was the platform for engagement.

She said the football field provided an opportunity for civic educators to interact directly with community members, particularly the youth, on critical national issues including peaceful coexistence, respect for the rights of others, avoidance of violence, community participation in local governance and the collective responsibility to maintain peace before, during and after elections.

Chief Superintendent Benjamin Buxton emphasised that peaceful existence is not the absence of differences but the presence of mechanisms and attitudes that allow differences to be managed without violence. Participants were urged to become ambassadors of peace in their homes, schools, workplaces and social circles.

The engagement recorded significant community buy-in. At the close of the programme, a total of 206 participants were directly engaged. The impressive turnout, including the active participation of women in a football-led civic programme, underscores growing inclusivity in community development activities.

Community leaders commended the initiative, noting that using sports as an entry point for civic education makes civic messages more relatable, especially to the youth who are often vulnerable to misinformation and divisive narratives. They called for sustained use of such creative platforms to deepen civic consciousness.

The initiative forms part of ongoing efforts to promote a culture of tolerance, social cohesion and active citizenship, essential ingredients for Ghana’s democratic stability and national development. It sends a clear message: when a community plays together in peace, it lives together in peace.