The anniversary celebration, dubbed the ActionAid Impact Celebration, was held in Tamale on the theme: “35 Years of Promoting Gender Equality, Social Justice and Youth Action in Ghana”.

It brought together representatives of government agencies, civil society organisations, youth groups, persons with disabilities, and beneficiaries of ActionAid Ghana’s programmes.

Madam Beatrice Biije, Regional Programme Manager of ActionAid Ghana, in an address, described the celebration as a milestone and moment of deep reflection, gratitude, and renewed resolve.

She recounted that ActionAid Ghana began its journey in 1990 in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region, starting as a small programme before expanding to the Northern, Bono-Ahafo, Upper West, Greater Accra, Oti, and Volta Regions.

She indicated that in 2007, it achieved Affiliate Status, becoming a full member of the ActionAid Federation with voting rights at the International General Assembly.

She said over the past three and a half decades, the organisation has transitioned from a service delivery model to a rights-based movement, rooted in community voices and focused on advancing gender justice, defending human rights, and empowering communities.

Madam Biije outlined some of the organization’s key achievements, including the construction of 42 school blocks, a girls’ dormitory, and the provision of 650 bicycles to pupils to overcome distance barriers to education.
She said the organization rehabilitated libraries, built vocational centres, distributed textbooks, and supported rural education volunteers.

On livelihoods and food security, she indicated that ActionAid Ghana had constructed and rehabilitated dams, built grain banks, provided corn mills, trained farmers, and strengthened agricultural extension services.

She touched on water, sanitation, and hygiene, mentioning built hand-dug wells, mechanised boreholes, urinals, and changing rooms to improve safety for girls in schools.

“We have also invested in health infrastructure and services, built maternity wards and laboratories, trained traditional birth attendants, and supported nurses to deliver essential care, as well as improve road infrastructure, including construction of culverts in deprived communities, and enhanced community access to markets, schools, and health facilities”.

Madam Biije said one of the NGO’s most notable social justice achievements was supporting the reintegration of women accused of witchcraft and advocating for the closure of alleged witches’ camps, including the successful closure of the Nabuli and Bonyase camps.

She said, “This is not just development work, it is justice work. However, our work is not done, not while poverty and inequality still thrive. Not while women and girls remain unsafe in homes, schools, and public spaces. Not while communities lack access to water, health services, and quality education.”

Madam Biije urged all stakeholders to strengthen partnerships towards creating a fairer society where everyone could live in dignity, saying the 35th anniversary was “not just a celebration of the past, but a call to action for the future.”

Mr. Clement Naabeh, Head of Field Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in a solidarity message, praised ActionAid Ghana for its three decades of dedicated work, noting that its interventions in women’s empowerment and WASH facilities aligned with FAO’s mission of achieving food security for all.

Mr Awal Mohammed, Executive Director of Norsaac, also commended ActionAid Ghana for supporting his organisation’s growth, at its initial stage, adding that one of such supported projects increased the number of women participating from two to 2,000.

The event, also served as media soiree to commend journalists for their role in shining a light on injustice and giving voice to the voiceless.