COMMUNITY-BASED non-governmental organisation (NGO), Sophia Community Development Association (SOCDA), is seeking help from public and private stakeholders in acquiring funds to establish a sports ground.
The association is looking to give young people a safe space where they can engage in recreational activities.
SOCDA’s main purpose is to provide programmes and activities aimed at promoting youth empowerment and education to reduce the prevalence of crime and violence in Sophia and the surrounding communities.

“Currently, the ground is used as a staging area for infrastructural development work, but at the same time, I don’t want that to stymie attracting people, or ‘good Samaritans’, to come and help upgrade the ground—or maybe even a portion of it, to be used as a playfield for playing football, or cricket and so on,” Programme Director of SOCDA, Leroy Adolphus, who also runs the Sophia CSEC Night School, detailed.
According to the 39-year-old, the ground was identified by the previous government as a location for a community centre, a project to be implemented by the Central Housing and Planning Authority. However, he noted that since the coalition was no longer in power, the NGO remains at a loss as to whether the centre would become a reality.

Adolphus explained that the NGO, which was founded in 2016, had previously relied on sponsorship from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), among other private sponsors.
“About three years ago, we had a grant from USAID, which was $35,000 US, and we were able to build our capacity institutionally. So we strengthened our government system, our accounts and operational management, just like a typical NGO. So we were able to use the money we got for the strategic planning.”
It was following this strategic planning with residents of Sophia, Adolphus explained, that the idea for the sports ground was brought forth.

“Because of COVID-19, we had to create innovative ways for which we handled our operations. The organization is 100% funded by donor and project funding. So last year again, USAID gave us another grant for a social enterprise, and we created the Orinduik Outlet Store in Region Eight. COVID-19 has caused a lot of NGOs to become self-sustaining, so we try to wean ourselves off of overseas funding. We created the Orinduik Outlet Store, and it’s in operation now. Since COVID-19 hit last year though, getting goods into the interior [is difficult], because the only way to get in there is by plane,” he explained.

Due to the laggard pace of economic activity, members of SOCDA brainstormed the idea of a ‘C-Spot Grill’ to provide food services to Sophia residents, while using the earnings to fund the NGO’s activities and classes for learners at the Night School.
“We’re doing some good work, but if we don’t get private sector assistance, we might lose other gains we’ve made,” Adolphus stressed.
“We saw Minister Ramson going around and looking at grounds and so on, so that gave us a bit of hope. It would be really good if he could get this for us, because it would be good for the entire [Sophia] community,” he concluded.
The Sophia CSEC Night School serves to give persons who might not have had a sound secondary education, a “second chance” at learning, in order to assist them in procuring jobs, applying for higher stages of education, or simply to impart knowledge.