Building Resilience and Peace Across Borders: Lessons from Ghana’s PERCH Project

By: Melody Azinim, Peace & Governance Analyst, UNDP Ghana

December 10, 2025

Introduction

Northern Ghana’s border communities face unique challenges: resource scarcity, climate induced farmer-herder tensions, and the influx of refugees and asylum seekers from neighboring countries. These dynamics heighten vulnerability to violent extremism (VE) and strain social cohesion. The security situation in the Sahel continues to deteriorate rapidly. According to the 2025 Global Terrorism Index, the Sahel region now accounts for over 50% of global terrorism deaths, an increase from last year. The spread of terrorism from the Sahel to coastal countries is also a growing concern, with rising terrorist activities in neighboring countries. Ghana has received over 20,000 refuges and asylum seekers mostly in the Upper East and Upper West regions according to data from the UNHCR and Ghana Refugee Board. Against this backdrop, the Promoting Economic Resilience of Host Communities for Peacebuilding (PERCH) project, jointly implemented by UNDP and IOM, funded by the US Government is transforming lives through integrated livelihood support and peacebuilding interventions.

Impact of the Project in Ghana

The PERCH project has made significant strides in strengthening socio-economic resilience and promoting peaceful coexistence in five target communities: Zini and Kwapun (Upper West), and Sapeliga, Widnaba, Tarikom (Upper East).

1. Empowering Women and Youth Through Livelihoods

Over 500 women and youth trained in diverse livelihood areas, including agropastoral practices (goat and guinea fowl rearing, dry-season gardening), value addition (shea butter processing, rice milling, soap and pomade production), and vocational skills (tailoring, carpentry, pastry making). These interventions have contributed to reduce economic grievances that extremist groups exploit but importantly build individual and community resilience against shocks and risks.

UNDP Ghana_PERCH_Project.jpg — Soap-making training in Tarikom.

@Meta Foundation/UNDPGhana

2. Promoting Financial Inclusion

Advancing social protection through the introduction of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), a unique community based social protection organization, in all five communities of the project has been a game-changer in the program districts. With over 45,000 Ghana cedis (USD 4017) mobilized in savings by September 2025 within 3months, VSLAs have enabled mainly women groups in vulnerable communities to provide access to microcredit for enterprise expansion and foster solidarity among members on more regular basis.

3. Strengthening Peace Architecture

The project identified and trained 54 Peace Champions traditional leaders, women, youth, and refugees to lead awareness campaigns on social cohesion, early warning, and conflict resolution. These champions are establishing Community Dialogue Platforms, serving as grassroot mechanisms for conflict prevention, early warning and promoting intercultural dialogue as a means of problem-solving and fostering social cohesion in culturally diverse communities.

4. Promoting climate security through solar mechanized water systems

2000 community members in the 5 communities benefitted from solar panel mechanized water systems that is supporting agriculture -crop farming and animal rearing reducing competition over water. The boreholes are reducing the burden on women and girls who in the past spent so much time searching for water affecting their participation in education and local decision-making processes.

Collaboration with IOM: A Model for Integrated Action

The partnership between UNDP and IOM has been pivotal. While UNDP focuses on livelihoods and governance, IOM has brought expertise in migration management and cross-border mobility trends. Joint scoping missions ensured inclusive beneficiary selection, integrated natural resource management plans, and shared data for coordinated interventions. This joint project is investing in people and the planet for a better world.

Collaboration with CSOs: the collaboration with the CSOs on livelihood was key to reaching the furthers behind. CSOs have a cordial relationship with communities and can timely mobilise and organize stakeholders. The partnership enabled a day-to-day tracking of the projects implementation towards addressing vulnerabilities, building resilience and enhancing social cohesion.

Why Cross-Border Projects Matter

Conflicts and vulnerabilities in border regions are rarely confined within national boundaries. The Upper East and Upper West regions of Ghana share porous borders with Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire, where insecurity and displacement are escalating. PERCH’s cross-border approach addresses transhumance challenges, reduces spillover risks of violent extremism, and fosters regional integration.

Way Forward

Building on current achievements, the next phase on work post end of this project should:
1. Scale up livelihood support through climate-smart agriculture and digital entrepreneurship for youth and women.
2. Institutionalize Community Dialogue Platforms by linking them to national early warning systems and Peace Councils.
3. Expand CBSPOS in the form of VSLAs into formal micro-financial ecosystems, enabling access to larger credit facilities.
4. Strengthen regional coordination with ECOWAS, AES and national governments to sustain cross-border peace initiatives.

Conclusion

PERCH demonstrates that economic resilience and peacebuilding are inseparable in fragile borderlands. Through UNDP-IOM collaboration, the project is not only transforming livelihoods but also weaving a fabric of social cohesion that transcends borders. As Ghana and its neighbors navigate complex security and development challenges, cross-border projects remain a cornerstone for sustainable peace and prosperity.