Meta Foundation and UNDP empower refugees and host communities in Bawku West with weaving machines under peacebuilding initiative

The Meta Foundation, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has distributed 20 weaving machines and accessories to refugees, asylum seekers, and members of host communities in Tarikom and Sapeliga in the Bawku West District. The initiative aims to equip beneficiaries with skills and income-generating opportunities to improve livelihoods and foster peaceful coexistence.

This distribution forms part of the “Improving Economic Resilience of Host Communities for Peacebuilding in Northern Ghana” project, funded by the U.S. Department of State through the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and UNDP. The project seeks to strengthen economic livelihoods and promote harmony between refugees and host communities in northern Ghana.

Most beneficiaries, predominantly women and youth, are expected to use the weaving machines to start income-generating ventures, enhance their living standards, and reduce dependency. Beyond weaving, the project has provided training in phone repairs, milk and shea processing, rice processing, dry-season vegetable farming, detergent production, small ruminant rearing, and dressmaking, while also introducing savings mobilisation for women’s groups.

Ms Ernestina Avariko, Communications Officer and Project Lead at Meta Foundation, expressed hope that the initiative would empower beneficiaries to become self-reliant and contribute to community development.

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“The aim is to empower the refugees and members of host communities to earn a decent income and live in harmony while contributing to peacebuilding efforts in the area,” she said.

Beneficiaries expressed gratitude for the support, calling it a transformative opportunity. Ms Faustina Ayindana, a beneficiary from Tarikom, said:

“With this machine, I can start my own weaving business and take care of my children.”

The initiative comes amid rising migration from Sahelian insurgencies, particularly from Burkina Faso, with many asylum seekers now residing in Upper East Region communities. The Government of Ghana, in collaboration with UNHCR, has established a reception and rehabilitation centre at Tarikom, currently housing over 2,000 asylum seekers, while others live with host families in surrounding communities.