Who We Are

Welcome to SUDRA

Our Approach

The SUDRA approach is simple, yet transformative. It is based on the integration of four fundamental elements that empower communities, enterprises and small scale producers –farmers, artisans, retailers - to find and implement the solutions that work best for them to improve their livelihoods and incomes. We build four elements into every project we are involved in:

At SUDRA, beneficiaries are not recipients of giveaways. They are participants in finding their own solutions to the everyday challenges that hinder their progress. We engage local communities at the program design stage, because programs designed, built and judged by the community they serve are more likely to succeed. And to last.

We design projects to cover more than just once slice of life. Because lives are complicated. Education boosts health. Better health improves livelihoods. Stronger livelihoods let families invest in education. Integrated solutions serve people living in the real world.

We partner with communities, governments and leading international organizations. These relationships let us harness complementary expertise and networks to ensure that each community gets the best solutions available.

People are powerful when they are heard. By engaging communities in project design and execution, SUDRA fosters skills such as transparency, accountability and open public debate — the cornerstones of effective civil society. And a strong civil society supports good governance, the critical force behind long-term development and sustainability.

Vision | Mission | Goal | Focus

Vision

We imagine a world where poverty and human deprivation has been overcome and all people are steadfast and committed to sustainably caring for nature and life on Earth.

Mission

Building upon current advances in science and technology and through partnerships, SUDRA works to empower societies to improve livelihoods through programs that reduce poverty and promote sustainable production practices that conserve nature.

Goal

Our goal is to enable our stakeholders and clients to develop lasting solutions to their most persistent challenges and to build an environment that creates permanent well-being and contentment.

Focus

Our work focuses mainly on creating conditions that enable entire societies and their production base to achieve improved, more sustainable and profitable development path — so that we don’t use up today what we’re going to need tomorrow.

History & Background

Sustainable Development & Relief Associates (SUDRA) is an independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit research-based and development oriented organization registered currently in Ghana. It has been implementing programs in Ghana as the local affiliate of EnterpriseWorks/VITA and Relief International for the past 20 years. From a rich history of relief and development programs, SUDRA is dedicated to the promotion of workable and innovative solutions to address poverty and environmental degradation in Ghana.

SUDRA’s work is based on tested practical solutions that are transformational in nature and enable farmers, artisans, and other entrepreneurs to boost their productivity and profits while sustainably managing natural resources and the environment. SUDRA leads the way in creating self-reliant communities comprised of empowered and engaged individuals, who improve their quality of life and the environment which supports their work. Drawing strength from a holistic and integrated program approach, SUDRA promotes innovative and practical solutions that result in sustainable development.

SUDRA’s work in Ghana is built on the foundations laid by EnterpriseWorks/VITA that later merged with Relief International. SUDRA’s interventions are categorized into six strategic areas:

Sustainable and Climate Resilient Agriculture
Natural Resource Management for multiple ecosystem types including forestry and Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD)
Renewable Energy including improved cookstoves and the use of carbon financing
Value chain assessment and interventions which integrate food security, nutrition, and gender
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and
Climate Change mitigation & adaption along with Disaster Risk Deduction (DRR).

SUDRA builds capacity from within, cooperating with local private-sector partners in applying its enterprise-oriented approach to development and conservation. We promote lasting change by:

Strengthening capacity for self-sufficiency and resilience
Providing economic opportunity through support for agriculture productivity enhancement, enterprise development and livelihood improvement
Promoting sustainable development through environmental protection & conservation, social equity and economic viability
Influencing policy decisions at all levels especially through promotion of community-based governance mechanisms which effectively coordinate with government bodies and the private sector

Guided by the aspirations of local communities, we pursue our mission with excellence and compassion because the people whom we serve deserve nothing less. Our programs work in close partnership with local governments, community/trade groups and individuals as well as public and private donors.

SUDRA has versatile and experienced staff members that bring together valuable combinations of professional and technical skills and expertise. Many have worked with EnterpriseWorks/VITA and Relief International programs for years, benefiting from training these organizations offer through in-country technical assistance, regional conferences, and exchange visits, including USAID and European donor compliance training. SUDRA’s technical and administrative staff represent an outstanding and unique workforce with a reputation for providing effective and practical solutions to development challenges. SUDRA provides consultancy services and partners with local communities, NGOs, government and the private sector to deliver effective programming.