GRID-NEA

Women’s Programs

For women in rural Northern Ghana, life is particularly harsh. To begin with, most girls do not have the opportunity to attend school. Today there are still many villages where not one girl has gone past the grade six level of the local primary school. Then there are no job opportunities, unless the women move to cities or larger centres where they will typically find work that involves carrying heavy loads of goods from place to place. If they stay in their village, they can expect to earn or produce the equivalent of $20 per year. Women marry young and it is ...

Food Security

When we use the term food security, we are speaking of people's ability to provide food for themselves and their families on a regular basis. As the World Health Organization explains, households that are food secure have enough nutritious food for every member to live a healthy, active life. In the rural parts of Northern Ghana where NEA and GRID work, food security has been elusive for families. Many households depend directly on their farms for their livelihoods, and uncertain weather patterns could plunge them and their entire communities into severe hunger and even starvation. Less than half ...

Water and Sanitation

Many diseases that residents of rural Northern Ghana suffer from can be prevented by providing clean water, latrines, and hygiene education. For most of us our day does not begin with a walk several miles long to a river or pond to fill a container with all of the water that we will use for a day. But this is exactly the situation in which many people in rural Northern Ghana found themselves before NEA arrived: walking miles to fetch water that brings disease. Men, women and children suffered needlessly from disease and illness that could be easily prevented by providing ...

Health

The endemic poverty in Ghana's Northern Region is perhaps most visible in the poor health situation of its residents. The lack of food for many communities in the region means that people become malnourished, and suffer from all its attendant health problems. Lack of clean water and open defecation compound health problems, exposing people to a range of preventable diseases. Health services are minimal in the region. Because the Northern Region is largely rural, with small villages of one or two hundred residents scattered across a vast area, it is difficult to provide timely health services to communities. Very few people in ...

Environmental Protection

Protecting the environment is an essential part of GRID and NEA's sustainable development program. Communities are closely connected to the environment -- many families grow, catch, or hunt their own food -- and mismanagement of natural resources immediately affects their livelihoods. Furthermore, the environment in Northern Ghana is particularly fragile, which means that protecting natural resources is a critical factor in achieving sustainable development. We assess the environmental impacts of all activities that we undertake so that we can be sure that natural resources will be protected. Part of our program includes protecting forests, rivers, and land. Part of the program ...

Education

Ghana's Northern Region has one of the lowest literacy rates in the country - according to UNESCO, as low as 5% of the population is literate.? Around 40% of all school-age children in the Northern Region are not enrolled in school, and of those who do enroll, only 25-30% will actually complete Grade 6. Yet education is critical for long-term development.? Education opens up opportunities for men and women alike, enabling them to pursue a greater range of employment opportunities and business ventures.? It equips future leaders to serve and effectively advocate on behalf of their communities. The Cost of Education Public-funded schools ...

Peace Building

Sustainable development is only possible in an environment of peace. In Northern Ghana, inter-tribal conflicts are an ever-present possibility. With long histories behind them, tensions between tribes (or even within tribes) can escalate and lead to violent conflict. When that happens, years of development work are undone in a matter of hours. Residents flee their homes, and abandon their farms and businesses. Young men are killed in warfare, leaving their widows and families grieving and without income. Conflict prevention and peace building are therefore critical if poverty alleviation is going to work and be sustainable. That is why NEA and GRID incorporate ...

Church Growth

[caption id="attachment_477" align="alignright" width="300" caption="One of the church buildings constructed by NEA with support from the Makbraneth Foundation."][/caption] GRID and NEA are Christian organizations. We are motivated by God's love to alleviate poverty and suffering. We believe that people have physical needs, social needs, and spiritual needs. Our programs seek to address all of these needs in a holistic way. In reality, these needs cannot be easily separated: for example, meeting the needs of hungry widows often means addressing their social need for access to decision-making. Similarly, our experience has been that long-term, transformational development is only possible as people's spiritual needs ...

Teams

Ghana Health Team 2010 Launches

As mentioned in our latest newsletter, we’ve launched the 2010 Ghana Health...

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Church Growth

The Dussi Chief’s Story

Prepared by Brenda Mensah At the recent conference for Christian chiefs in Northern...

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Health

Uncovering Yaws in Northern Ghana

In November 2009, members of the visiting medical team encountered unusual skin ulcers in many children from remote villages in the Deg area. They became suspicious that Yaws might be the cause of these painful sores, even though the disease was considered to be eradicated in Ghana. Yaws is an infectious tropical disease that affects skin, bone,... [Read more]

“I Feel Like a Young Man Again”

Successful surgery made this man feel young again In their recent mission in Ghana, members of the 2009 medical team were blessed by a man who calculates himself to be 120 years old. The surgeons with Operation Hernia, who were once again a part of the medical team, had completed a successful hernia repair on this gentleman. The elderly man was very... [Read more]

Medical Team 2009 Wrap-Up

The Uxbridge Medical Team has returned safely home. Members will be delivering a presentation about their experiences at Uxbridge Baptist Church on this Sunday, November 22. You are welcome to join either the 9:00 am or the 10:45 service; the team will be presenting in both. Read More →

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About GRID and NEA

GRID and NEA are partner organizations working to alleviate poverty in Northern Ghana. Motivated by the love of Christ, our mission is to assist poor communities in meeting their basic needs in a sustainable manner. Learn more.