SUSTAINABILITY AMID CRISIS

Sustainability is at the heart of all our poverty alleviation work and has become a part of our DNA.

During our Annual General Meeting, Dr. David Mensah shared that in spite of being in the midst of a worldwide health crisis, incredible work and progress has been made.

Dr. Jennifer Wilson remarked,

This story needs to be shared. We need to let everyone know the importance of sustainability. They should see the impact of sustainability in the face of crisis.

For thirty years, each of the programs and projects that we developed and implemented were for the purpose of laying down the foundations for our friends in Ghana to be able to sustain themselves, now and in the future.

FOOD SECURITY

Families have income and food on their tables as a result of the women’s co-op program through peanut farming and the newly planted 200-acre corn farm.

The fishery program continues to supply fish to recipient communities providing protein which is essential in keeping a healthy diet.

The poultry program has been blessed with a great volume of eggs. Supply extends to the hospitals now, providing adequate nutrition to the patients and staff.

HEALTH

“Why hasn’t Ghana significantly been affected by COVID19 as we thought it would be?” Dr. Wilson asked.

The Ghanaian government’s precautions and protocols, including checking passengers at bus stations and collecting phone numbers, coupled with the resiliency of Africans when faced with infectious disease, have limited the spread of the virus in rural areas. Most importantly, the President has called for fasting and prayer.

As mentioned on our June Impact Updates, the chiefs were advised of the COVID situation before it hit Ghana, and they quickly implemented washing stations in their communities.

COVID19 crisis highlighted the need for a strong local health system. The construction crew is motivated and inspired to finish the Leyaata Hospital as soon as possible. In addition, during their personal time, the NEA staff can be seen carrying concrete blocks and cleaning the construction site or doing other tasks to keep the work moving.

It’s very exciting to see the progress made in the hospital. Most of the buildings have roofs, and other internal and external work is advancing.

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EDUCATION

An integrated approach is at the core of our program implementation. The scholarships we offer complement the success of each sector. Currently, we have scholars studying nursing, engineering, education, medicine and theology.

WATER & SANITATION

Over 120K people now have access to clean water, making it possible for each of the community leaders to ensure that members maintain good personal hygiene, especially during this COVID crisis.

CHURCH GROWTH

Year after year, the church is flourishing. This year, two new churches have been established. We have a construction crew (led by one of our local pastors who is a builder by profession) busy with the Carpenter Church building’s completion, which will have the capacity to serve over 500 members. Our youth leaders are also actively sharing their faith and drawing other youth in the communities.

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30 YEARS ON . . .

In November of 1990, the Mensah family left Canada to start work in Ghana. At the time, David and Brenda’s daughters – Elizabeth, Deborah, and Carole – were aged 7, 5, and 3.

While it was an exciting step into the work God had called our family to, there were also some concerns around the impact it would have on our daughters. While people still face incredible challenges with healthcare access in Northern Ghana, 30 years ago, things were so dire that it was safer to have blood tests done at the veterinary lab than at the regional hospital. Having three girls at vulnerable ages for illness was certainly on our minds.

dR. DAVID MENSAH

Added to that were questions about how Elizabeth, Deborah, and Carole would get a quality education when many primary schools in the region had classes that could sometimes have as many as 60 students per teacher. The alternatives were a boarding school that was 15 hours away in Ivory Coast or homeschooling. The Mensahs also knew that starting up NEA’s work would be challenging, and taking the girls from the home they knew to something so unfamiliar brought concerns about how they would adapt and remain connected with family in Canada, as well as develop new relationships in Ghana.

Looking at where Elizabeth, Deborah and Carole are now, thirty years on is a testament to God’s faithfulness when you step out in courage.

Even through difficult illnesses and injuries, there was always healthcare when it was needed most. We realized the gap that existed in education and saw that homeschooling would not be sustainable, so we set up an international school which not only provided the girls with quality education but also helped hundreds of other Ghanaian and immigrant students to excel. Most importantly, dinner table discussions about NEA’s work embedded a sense of purpose that has led each of our girls on different paths that have ultimately brought them back to be a part of the work.

brenda mensah

Elizabeth has a Ph.D. in International Relations and Conflict Management and has been working in International Development for over 15 years. This past December, she became senior Queen Mother of the Mo tribe. The Queen Mother role is a leadership position that will enable her to work in areas of justice and peacebuilding for women and men in the tribe, region and beyond.

When she was eleven, Carole decided that rather than being a veterinarian (a career path idea prompted by all of her pets), she wanted to be a doctor because she could help more people. In June, Carole finished her Pediatric Residency in Brooklyn, New York, during the COVID-19 pandemic height. She has already started on her path to help people and hopes to bring those skills home to Ghana in the days ahead.

From a young age, Deborah always displayed a passion for the health and well-being of mothers and babies. She graduated with a Master’s Degree from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and has worked in Public Health and Development for over ten years. Most recently as the Executive Director of Save the Mother’s Canada and as the Vice-Chair of the board for the Canadian Council of Christian Charities.

Deborah also helped design and implement NEA’s Leyataa Ane Program, which has received accolades from the Canadian government.

It’s incredible to see how neonatal mortality declined from 40/1000 to 4.9/1000 in NEA’s catchment area of 160 villages, throughout the four-year project. I can just see the thousands of babies’ faces who were saved.

deborah mensah

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Thank you for continuing to walk with us in equipping individuals, families, and communities to become self-sufficient.

Your help is so much appreciated!

Adapting Beyond COVID-19

In these challenging days, we are encouraged to know that we are not forgotten by our faithful friends and partners. Thank you for your prayers.

We know you are wondering about the impact of COVID-19 on Ghana and especially the NEA staff, as they work to adapt projects in light of the changes this has brought to our world. We are adapting and working in these new circumstances and continue to look forward, with joyful anticipation, to the official opening of the Leyaata Hospital!

On March 8, the last night that the nearly 200 Christian chiefs were at Carpenter for their annual conference, I felt compelled to share that we were hearing of an unusual virus in China that seemed to be spreading to other countries. I had been reading of the precautions that needed to be taken and passed on these details to the chiefs before the meeting closed. At that point, we had no idea what we were yet to face. Over the last few weeks, we have contacted all the chiefs to inquire about how they and their communities are managing. Many told us that they had immediately set up ‘handwashing’ stations at their meeting places and that they were taking the advice given very seriously.

GHANA OVERVIEW

Ghana’s case numbers of COVID-19 are rising – but more slowly than originally projected. At the time of writing, the number of cases recorded stands at 9,910 and the number of deaths at 48. Most of the cases reported were from incoming travellers and people with whom they were in contact. In late March, Ghana swiftly closed the airport to travellers and implemented test and trace procedures. Accra and Kumasi, where most cases were centred, were locked down, and gatherings were banned throughout the country. These positive steps prevented caseload spiralling. To date, there are no known cases in the Bole-Bamboi District, the Carpenter project location.

Perhaps one of NEA’s greatest strengths is its ability to adapt. Here’s how we’ve been doing that in various sectors.

PROJECT SITE

At the project site, all staff who live outside were asked to take their annual vacation. This proved advantageous since the rains had commenced, and those off-site could use the time to plant their summer gardens. It also reduced movement in and out of the project site, thereby reducing the likelihood of virus spread. Hand-washing facilities are set up at the front gate for essential visits. On-site staff are responsible for maintaining the animal husbandry and gardening programs. Eggs are still being sold, but that takes place outside the gate, by masked employees.

GROWING A FUTURE

Since schools are closed students who are part of the Growing A Future Project, are able to work on their gardens. They are harvesting and selling fresh vegetables in their villages. Providing local fresh vegetables at this time means that residents travel less frequently to markets, where the risk of contracting the virus is higher.

LEYAATA ANE (Maternal & Child Health Program)

In collaboration (via phone) with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education, NEA suspended visits to villages and health centres for this project. Fortunately, we were able to complete the delivery of all the maternal medical test kits needed by the health facilities for this semester before the suspension.

Volunteers in 160+ communities were supplied with mobile phones early in the program so that they could communicate with the Leyaata team and health facilities. The volunteers communicate with the closest health care providers regarding any referred mothers and babies who require urgent attention.

We have also sent messages through local radio stations about symptoms, spread and prevention of the virus along with encouragement
for expectant mothers to:

• Keep attending monthly clinics
• To sleep under treated mosquito nets
• To aim for facility delivery and to quickly report to the nearest health facility in case of complications during pregnancy or danger of signs in babies

Reports from the volunteers and the health professionals indicate that this advice is being followed.

As schools are still closed, the work with adolescents is the one aspect of the program that is on hold; however, the 30 clubs that were established last September had completed all the training modules before the closing took place. We are currently unable to conduct follow-up on the impact of the training.

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Work was stopped on both the hospital and dormitory construction – mainly because supervising engineers and materials come from Kumasi or Accra.

LEYAATA HOSPITAL

This ‘downtime’ was used to finalize details with multiple contractors for the next stage of work. The buildings are now ready for all the piping that needs to be done prior to plastering the walls – plumbing, electrical, air-conditioning, IT, water system (wells, water purification, rainwater storage) oxygen and gas.

Work resumed on May 1 with a meeting of department representatives to plan for installation while respecting rules about distancing. Roofers returned to finish assembling and erecting the trusses, followed by the roofing to complete some of the buildings. Only small groups are working on the buildings, and the workers are staying at the hospital site to limit movement and reduce the risk of contracting or spreading the virus.

Several years ago, when we were diligently working on the ‘Hospital Feasibility Study,’ one of the team members, Dr. Rob Drury, was involved in hospital accreditation on a global scale.

He recommended an important change to the entrance of the hospital – the addition of an enclosed room with a back door – so that in the event of an epidemic, anyone presenting with symptoms could be isolated in that room, and emergency department alerted. Medical staff, outfitted in PPE would enter the room from the back door to do a preliminary assessment of the patient and, if necessary, take the patient out the back door to an isolation unit.

While we hope we will never need to use this room, we realize now what a critical piece of advice this was for the Leyaata Hospital.

DORMITORY

Dormitory construction has recommenced with a smaller group of on-site workers. The building team is close to bringing the structure to the roofing level.

COMMUNITY DAMS

Following physical distancing, our three staff members (one on the bulldozer, one on the excavator and one with the pick-up truck to ensure there is adequate fuel for the equipment) were able to complete the construction of two dams.

ECAC CHURCHES & LEADERS

As churches were closed in Ghana, ECAC has found innovative ways of staying connected. Each Sunday, I preach using my phone. Our tech team has devised a system to patch in four people in every connection made. Through this, we are reaching the churches in most of our 40+ communities. It has been amazing to see that this unusual way of meeting together is strengthening our relationships.

I suppose I could have just told you that we are praying fervently for God’s mercy and acting responsibly out of love for one another as I’m sure you all are doing as well, but I felt you needed a few more details of how we are doing this in Ghana.

May God watch over each of you. You are also in our prayers. We are especially praying for all our health team members who are providing care for those affected by this virus daily.

Shalom,
Dr. David Mensah
GRID & NEA Executive Director

COVID-19 IMPACT ON FUNDRAISING

As a consequence of COVID-19, donations to our ‘Where Most Needed’ fund have dipped approximately 30% since March. The great majority of these funds go directly to support our ongoing work in Ghana and, if anything, that need has grown stronger amid this adversity. Thank you in advance for your generous response.

We want to keep you informed of the impact of COVID-19 on our work in Ghana and how we are dealing with this.

While no cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in our catchment area, a growing number of cases have been confirmed in Ghana, especially in the larger cities.

The Government of Ghana has imposed very strict lockdown restrictions throughout the country and its border.

As a result, NEA has temporarily stopped all construction work, including the Leyaata Hospital. Churches are closed and training involved in various projects is on hold for the time being. Visits to the villages are also limited to essential visits only. However, communication with NEA’s network of pastors, Christian Chiefs and Community Based Health Volunteers is done via phone and radio messages. Everyone is encouraged to follow the government’s guidelines and to continue in prayer.

With some NEA revenue streams in Ghana at risk during a time when the opportunity exists to make a big difference, we would appreciate your continued prayer and financial support during this critical time and thank you in advance for these.

God Bless,

Jacques Lapointe

GRID Chair

Sunday morning came quickly and our team was on the road just after 6:00 am for the long journey to Carpenter. We are so grateful that our travels were smooth and we had no unexpected surprises. We are also very grateful that Graham’s role-call system worked perfectly and no one was left behind at a rest stop. Phew! Ten hours later, we pulled onto the absolutely stunning grounds of the NEA compound.

The NEA staff created a massive receiving line to greet each of us as we came off the bus. The kids were not supposed to be there but somehow they made a case to Dr. Mensah that they should be part of the ceremony! It must have taken a good thirty minutes for us to make our way through the line greeting one another. There were hugs, tears, songs of thanks to God and welcome speeches by Abraham and Dr. Mensah who was bubbling over with excitement.

While fourteen of our team members’ feet touched Carpenter soil for the first time today (of course we singled them out in front of this big crowd), the rest of us on this team have collectively been to Carpenter 189 times since 2007. So you can see why this place feels like our African home. We are just so comfortable here. The NEA staff are like family. We have watched the kids grow up, and we know all the nooks and crannies of this compound like it was our home. We sleep in our same beds year after year, and some of us even leave things in our closets! The familiarity of it all is very sweet and meaningful.

After our traditional spaghetti supper, it was time to dry our tears and get to work. To me, it was a miracle to watch an exhausted group of teammates work together so cheerfully, enthusiastically and efficiently to unpack 200 hockey bags and boxes. Within a few hours, a medical clinic, nursing station, pharmacy, dental office, eye clinic, laser clinic and a surgical centre were taking shape. It was a sight to behold.

We are giddy with excitement about what is planned for tomorrow morning, but you will have to wait for the next update to hear what happens.

To our families and friends, please be assured we are safe and sound, well cared for and ready as ever to begin the work that has brought us back to our African home.

Dr. Jennifer Wilson, MD, CCFP(EM), FCFP, DIMPH