The leadership of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), together with officials from Reach Beyond, a non-governmental organisation headquartered in New Zealand, paid a working visit to the Administrator and Leadership of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) on March 27, 2026. Leading the Reach Beyond delegation were its Chief Executive Officer, Russell Grainger, and Chief Technology Officer, Bob Arend. During the engagement, the team highlighted the organisation’s extensive global experience in leveraging media, technology, and community-driven approaches to reach hard-to-access populations

Discussions centred on identifying key areas of collaboration between Reach Beyond and GIFEC, particularly in the deployment of voice and data services to rural and underserved communities. This initiative is expected to complement ongoing national efforts to bridge the digital divide and promote inclusive socio-economic development through improved connectivity. The DACF representatives, Sitso Kwame Asaase, Head of Grants, and Mabel Serwaah Acheampong, Senior Accountant (District), underscored the importance of coordinated interventions at the district level, emphasising that enhanced digital infrastructure remains essential for effective local governance, service delivery, and community empowerment.

The Administrator of GIFEC welcomed the proposal and commended Reach Beyond for its impactful global interventions. He reaffirmed GIFEC’s commitment to fostering partnerships that align with its mandate of facilitating universal access to electronic communications and assured the delegation of the Fund’s readiness to collaborate in implementing sustainable, high-impact solutions. Also in attendance were the Directors of Corporate Affairs, Operations, and Human Resources & Administration of GIFEC.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to deepen engagement and develop actionable frameworks that will translate the proposed partnership into tangible and lasting benefits for underserved communities across the country.

Key Discussion Points

• Partnership Exploration: DACF and Reach Beyond visited GIFEC to discuss collaboration opportunities.
• Connectivity for Rural Areas: Focus on deploying voice and data services to underserved communities.
• District-Level Impact: DACF emphasized the importance of enhanced digital infrastructure for governance and service delivery.
• GIFEC’s Commitment: Administrator reaffirmed readiness to partner on sustainable, high-impact digital solutions.
• Shared Outcomes: Meeting concluded with a pledge to develop actionable frameworks for inclusive socio-economic development.