A Quick Overview of GRID/NEA Programs

Gary and Elenor Paisley, members of Talbot Creek Community Church, have recently returned from visiting GRID/NEA projects in Ghana.  They’ve posted a summary report, with photos, of their visit.  The report gives a nice overview of some of the things that GRID/NEA are doing in the region, so please check it out.

2009 Program Evaluation

In 2009, CIDA evaluated the GRID-NEA projects in Ghana. We were thrilled to see how positively our work was viewed, and wanted to share some of the findings with you.

Highlights from the Evaluation Report

• Relevant: GRID-NEA projects are meeting real needs of people who otherwise would not receive assistance.
• Holistic: The many interconnected components of our projects work together to achieve sustainable development.
• Effective: We are stewarding resources well so that we can make the greatest impact possible.
• Authentic: Our staff members are known for their commitment, integrity, and credibility.
• Sustainable: The results from our projects are locally-based and long-lasting.
• Exemplary: Some of the successes from our projects can be used to help other organizations.

If you’d like to learn more about the evaluation process, findings, and recommendations, you can download a summary or read more highlights online.

Enemies reconciled

In the early 1990s, tensions between the Mo tribe and the Nkoranza tribe erupted into violent conflict. Women from both tribes fled their homes with their children while their husbands, brothers, and fathers fought. Many died during the war.

The violence eventually ceased, but strained relations between the two neighbouring tribes continued.

In early 2009, David Mensah – NEA’s Director and a newly-elected Mo chief – was praying about the situation.  He wanted to see the tribes reunited and working together for the betterment of their communities.

While David was discussing the situation with his wife, wondering how he might approach the Nkoranza chief in dialogue, he received a phone call. A representative of the Nkoranza chief contacted him with a request to dialogue!

Soon thereafter, David and a delegation of other Mo leaders met with the Nkronza delegation. As they went out to their meetings, the women were crying with joy that the tensions that had burdened them for so many years were being lifted.

Both tribes agreed to live in peace as friends. Furthermore, they developed an inspiring plan to protect all of the forests in their jurisdiction from charcoal harvesting. With the support of leaders from the two tribes, this will be an effective and crucial step in protecting Northern Ghana’s resources for the communities who need them.

Increasing Women’s Income

Women experience a dramatic boost in income when they participate in NEA’s co-op programs.

Before they participate in NEA’s cooperative program, women earn on average $20 per year.  But women who participated in the co-operative program earned an average of $360 at their last harvest.

$360 isn’t a lot to earn in a year.? In fact, it’s a little bit less than $1/day, which is the world’s standard for measuring extreme poverty.

But these women are making the most of that income, and they rejoice in the new opportunities that open up for them as a result.? Many are using some of their harvest income to start small businesses that will provide them money year-round.? A lot of them have been able to purchase clothing for themselves, and some have even been able to put tin roofs on their homes.? Many are investing in their children’s education so that they, too, have opportunities for the future.

We rejoice with these women as they see their hard work bringing such benefits to themselves and their families.

Fish Farming: A first in Northern Ghana

In 2009, GRID and NEA reached a milestone in their aquaculture program. Two of the ponds that had been stocked by NEA were harvested for the first time, proving that against all odds, fish can be raised in Northern Ghana!

Harvest time was an exciting community event. NEA staff and the village pond management committee conducted the harvest with most of the community watching. Teachers found it impossible to keep children in class as they didn’t want to miss seeing the harvest. People were laughing, clapping and cheering as the nets came to the shore, laden with a good catch.

One pond yielded 1600 lbs of fish; another yielded 1800 lbs. Fish were shared among the residents of the host community, who rejoiced to be able to eat so well.

The fish ponds can be harvested several times a year, which means that they will be an ongoing, sustainable source of protein for communities who would otherwise endure severe hunger.

Thank you to our supporters, and to the Canadian International Development Agency, for making this important initiative possible.

Protecting the Black Volta River

Did you know that GRID and NEA have facilitated the protection of over 250 km of the Black Volta river in Ghana? By organizing a team of over six hundred volunteers, we have been able to virtually eliminate the use of chemicals and illegal nets on this stretch of the river. Fishermen are noticing a return in the quantity of fish that they are catching, and are even seeing some species of fish that they had believed were extinct. We’re excited to hear this, and excited to think that poisoned fish are appearing less frequently in the markets.

We have plans to expand this protection another 40 km along the main river. We should point out that for every kilometer of the main river that we protect, there are at least as many kilometers tributaries that we also protect. This means that by the end of 2011, we hope to see 290km of the main river protected, and 350 km of its tributaries similarly protected.

On the map below, you can see highlighted in blue the waterways that we have been able to protect. The waterways highlighted in purple are those that we hope to protect by 2011.

Use the hyperlink at the bottom of the map to see a larger version of it.

View NEA Program in a larger map