Author: Nathan

Nyinampong’s Turn At Last

Nyinampong is a large, extremely poor village with very high rates of birth and infant mortality. We’ve been looking for a long time for a sponsor for them – they’ve also been lobbying us hard in case we forgot – but the village is too big for most people to want to take on.

Luckily, a sponsor was recently found for them and latrines are going up everywhere at the rate of knots. We’ve divided the village into two for the purposes of sanitation, and almost all the first half have now been constructed and roofed their latrines, so the masons can finish them off under cover in spite of the heavy rains they’ve been having in Ashanti.

Here’s a picture of one of them. You may think it’s not the most inspiring picture you’ve seen, but the latrine means an awful lot to someone.

Nyanampong

Q Fever

As volunteer who spent about a month in Gyetiase last Autumn has written us the following warning:
“A couple of weeks after my return to the USA I started to feel very poorly.  Will not bore you with details.  I live in a small village in the USA where ‘African maladies’ are quite unknown so routine blood tests were not helpful.
“In January I came to Jerusalem, where ‘African maladies’ are common.  Turns out I had Q FEver.  I was treated with appropriate antibiotics and now feel quite fine. An Israeli Ministry of Health official called me when the lab results came in to ask where I got it and gave me some good information.
“Perhaps the fact that I was charmed watching a mother goat give birth has a lot to do with the fact that I contracted the disease.
Briefly, it is seems to come from bacteria emitted by livestock, especially, though not solely, from sheep and goats.  It is an airborne disease.  I mentioned the birth as it seems that gazillions of these bacteria are emitted at that time, though they are also floating around generally. It seems that it is not communicable by human contact. Interestingly, if you look up Q fever Ashanti you will find a research project done in several villages in the Ashanti district.

If it is treated quickly it should go away quickly. Apparently it can be dangerous to people with certain conditions.

Sad for PSK

Many of you know about the recent legislation to cut the number of Unit Committees in every electoral area. What’s more, whereas previously representatives were elected, they are now nominated by government. At many villages this change has wrought havoc. Former, possibly hard-working and responsible Unit Committee members are furious at having been displaced and many people refuse point blank to work with the new committees, who are in any case too small to manage all the work involved.

Examples are the three neighbouring villages of Patase, Sesease and Kokoben. Sometime ago, we gave them a palm oil press, but they were unable to organise themselves enough to use it properly. They’ve had many ‘last chances’ to do this, but never succeeded, so now we’ve removed the press and given it to Adutwam village, largely because Adutwam already have a shed in which to house it.

The photos show the press being removed from PSK, and the shed where it’s now housed.  It’s very sad for PSK, and we’re specially sorry because Kokoben is Master’s home village. Let’s hope at least it serves as an example to any other village. 

 

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Nyinampong’s Turn for Household Latrines

Nicholas reckons that Nyinampong is one of the poorest villages he’s ever seen, so there was great rejoicing last week when he was able to tell them that a sponsor had been found for their household latrines.  The meeting was well attended, although many people were preparing for marketday the following morning.  It was attended by opinion leaders including the queen mother

and the village elders.

 

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Many people spoke of their appreciation of the sponsor’s generosity, and they promised to cooperate throughout the project, for which they will carry out all unskilled manual labour, such as digging 14 ft pits. 

Three Little Maids from School

Comfort, Yah and Janet are very happy because their village, Adutwam, recently joined in our microcredit project. They’ve been through the training, worked out business plans, and now they say they’re earning good money with their loans.

Better still Swiss donors, BasAid, have just made Adutwam a grant to buy a gari mill, producing long-life cassava. Adutwam will pay back on microcredit terms, and then the money will be recycled to another village.Image

Paul Becomes Chief of Awanya Village

Paul Becomes Chief of Awanya Village

Paul Becomes Chief of Awanya Village

The photo shows Paul becoming Chief of Awanya Village. Awanya invited him to take this on in thanks for his effort in collecting (via Crowdfunder) enough money to give every household its own latrine.

Paul was born in Ghana, and given the Ghanaian name of Kwasi Mensah at birth. In Awanya, he took the vacant stool formerly held by Kwadwo Mensah – so it was clear to the village that he was an entirely suitable person and probably a reincarnation of the original stoolholder. They put on a wonderful durbar (a meeting with dancing) in his honour.
More photos on Facebook.

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