Ghana's University for Development Studies blazes new trail

There are north-south divides in many countries, but Ghana’s is particularly stark and long-standing. During colonisation, the Europeans invested heavily in the south – where the gold, cocoa and slaves were located – while impoverishing the north and exploiting it for cheap labour. Aspects of this legacy remain, and despite the best efforts of successive governments, the north needs more jobs and businesses and its people continue to migrate south for work.
According to Caesar Abbagali of the Ghana News Agency, poverty in the Upper East Region is 49% higher than the national average. In the Upper West the figure is 44%. Northern Ghana is beset with all kinds of problems associated with poverty – unemployment, homelessness, disease, malnutrition and illiteracy – and with climate change – drought, flooding, pollution and food insecurity.
These might seem like impossible hurdles to clear, but one organisation has been making an Olympian effort. The University for Development Studies (UDS) runs a huge range of initiatives to help northern communities help themselves.