…Commends ASIDI For Using Sport to Advance Public Health, Community Engagement and the SDGs
Hon. Phyllis Naa Koryoo Okunor, Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, participated as Special Guest of Honour in the Kasoa Pink Run held last Saturday.
Her presence encouraged the participants, who included the youth, students, and market women joining the collective effort to promote community well-being.
More Than a Run: Sport in Action for Development
The Kasoa Pink Run demonstrated how sport can serve as an accessible platform for bringing communities and institutions together around shared development priorities.
The initiative supports four key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:
SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being: Promoting physical activity, breast cancer awareness, and access to screening.
SDG 5 – Gender Equality: Advancing awareness of women’s health and well-being.
SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities: Encouraging inclusive participation and stronger community connections.
SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals: Mobilising public institutions, civil society, businesses and community stakeholders around a common purpose.
By combining physical activity with health awareness and community participation, ASIDI seeks to demonstrate that sporting events can create opportunities for wider social impact.
A Collective Effort: Partners, Sponsors and Media
Kasoa Polyclinic, RightSet Ghana, Accra Majestics, Nsona Diaspora Foundation, MaabMens Sports Consultancy, Ghana Jump Rope and Skipping Federation, YMCA, and LOLA Ghana supported the initiative.
Sponsors included Fenaam Industries Limited (Peeva brand), Tobinco Group, Sky Pure, and MTN.
Media partners included Omashi Media, modernghana.com, ultimatesportsghana.com, ITV, Atinka FM/TV, RA Media, Obonu TV and Accra Standard News, whose involvement helped extend the event’s visibility.
ASIDI extends its sincere appreciation to the MP, partners, sponsors, health professionals, volunteers, security personnel, media organisations, community leaders, participants and everyone who contributed directly or indirectly. The initiative reflects the value of collaboration in turning a community-focused idea into collective action.
Measuring Impact: From Participation to Evidence
For ASIDI, success must extend beyond the event day. The Institute aims to use the Kasoa Active & Safe Communities
Programme to develop a research-informed, evidence- driven approach to sport for development.
The next step is to document participation, gather stakeholder and community feedback, assess programme delivery and identify lessons that can inform future activities. This will help distinguish immediate outputs—such as participation and screening delivered—from longer-term outcomes, such as improved health awareness and stronger community engagement.
Key performance indicators (KPIs) for reporting and follow- up include:
Participation: Number of registered participants and people taking part in the 5KM run/walk.
Health services: Number of people screened, health education sessions delivered, and referrals recommended by qualified health professionals.
Community reach: Number of volunteers engaged, partner organisations involved, and people reached through media and outreach.
Partnerships: Number and type of organisations contributing financial, technical, material, or mobilization support.
Learning and continuity: Participant feedback, lessons documented, follow-up actions completed and future activities developed.
Verified results will be incorporated into ASIDI’s post- event documentation. These indicators will provide a foundation for assessing what worked, identifying gaps and strengthening future programme design.
Changing the Narrative About Kasoa
Communities should be recognised not only for the challenges they face, but also for the potential, leadership, partnerships and solutions within them. Through the Kasoa Pink Run and the wider programme,
ASIDI seeks to contribute to a more balanced, positive and evidence-informed narrative about Kasoa—one that highlights community participation, health promotion, collective responsibility and local action.
The Institute recognises that one event cannot resolve complex social challenges. However, sport can provide a starting point for dialogue, partnership and sustained community engagement when supported by research, deliberate planning and consistent follow-up.
ASIDI’s long-term ambition is to move from events to programmes, from programmes to evidence, and from evidence to approaches that can be adapted and replicated in other communities.
“Sport can be more than competition. It can be a catalyst for development, a platform for partnerships and a starting point for change.”
Through the Kasoa Active Safe Communities Programme,
ASIDI remains committed to connecting sport, research and partnerships to help build healthier, more inclusive and resilient communities.
The 5KM community run was a platform for health awareness, partnership and a bigger vision for community development in Kasoa.
The Africa Sports Innovation & Development Institute (ASIDI), together with its partners and sponsors, has held the Kasoa Pink Run 2026, a community initiative combining sport, breast cancer awareness and health promotion under the theme “Run • Support • Hope • Empower.”
Held at Odupongkpehe Park, Kasoa Old Market Area, the event formed part of ASIDI’s Kasoa Active Safe Communities Programme, which seeks to harness sport and recreation to promote healthier lifestyles, strengthen community connections and contribute to sustainable development.
By Sammy Heywood Okine
