TRINITY CARE AND NEEDY FOUNDATION

PROJECT REPORT

DATE: 17TH OCTOBER 2007

TIME: 6:00AM – 4:00PM

VENUE: EKWAMKROM AND JUKWA, AGONA SWEDRU, CENTRAL REGION

INTRODUCTION:
The project Village Planning Poverty Alleviation Started as planned in two villages. Ekwankrom and Jukwa are in the Gomoa District in the Central Region of the Republic of Ghana. It can be located between Winneba Junction and Agona Swedru. The community has a population of about 1000 and farming as the predominant source of income.

Phase 1.
The Foundation organized the youth and school children in these two villages to clean the surroundings and weed the bushy paths that lead in and out of the villages. In summary the total turn out of participants was motivating since the goal is to inculcate in them the need to recognize their responsibility towards having a safer and a clean environment to prevent pollution and the subsequent outbreak of diseases such as malaria and cholera etc.

Findings: During this exercise it came to our notice that there is only one place of public convenience (Toilet Facility) Because of this most of the people prefer easing themselves in the bushy surroundings since they cannot join the queue of line which is always there at this place of convenience.,

Secondly we were reliably informed by one of the sub chiefs that there is no market where the people can display their wares. Because of this most of them who are predominantly farmers prefer to either sell on the street corners or take it to the major markets in Mankessim and Swedru.

In conclusion we noticed that these two sister villages (Ekwankrom and Jukwa) have one of the best cleanest environment and streets than most other villages we passed on our way there.

Phase II.
The group of counselors, resource persons and team of Trinity Care and Needy Foundation moved from house to house to sensitize and counsel occupants on issues such as Teenage Pregnancy, Reproductive Health, Modernize Farm Practices, Environmental Cleanliness, Government Policy on GPRS I and II. We then informed them of our vision for the village and invited them to the afternoon program.

In all we covered the greater part of the villages; we visited 67 houses and interviewed 129 people. Other places we chose at liberty to visit are the schools and the local health post, where we were informed about the health issues in these villages. Diseases such as Malaria, Dysentery and Bilharzias were common among the villagers. Some of the issues we were confronted with were shocking and challenging but not without solutions. It came as no surprise to the team as we encountered more problems of the effects of poverty to another as we went along.



Findings;
Because of the poor living standards of the people, most of the able bodied members of the community have either left to the cities and major towns in search of “greener pastures” or taken to trading and other sources of income generation. There is a high rate of teenage pregnancy and child mortality rate, unemployment child abuse. For instance we were reliably informed that most of the children go to school on empty stomach because their parents don’t have the money for this basic human right of the child. The two basic schools serving the communities are in bad shape. We can say that one of the schools (Ekwankrom Methodist Primary with a student population of 372) is almost a death trap since the roof is caving in. Through the ingenuity of the Head Teacher a single pillar has been constructed to give a support to the whole structure.

The education of the youth is adversely affected because of the seriousness of the effects of poverty, for example the district had the lowest percentage of result in the last Basic Education Certificate Examination in the country. The district (Gomoa) had 14% of zero in the result that was published.

It was not all gloomy; we had some rays of hope as we realized that others who are engaged in other businesses such as hairdressing, tailoring and carpentry were doing well. Our final place of visit before we started the main events was the Chief Palace. The youth chief and other sub chiefs who welcomed us and introduced us to certain issues confronting the community welcomed us. We were also taken through s few of their cultural heritage and way of life as they have inherited it from their ancestors. Later an announcement was made through the public address system in the Chiefs House for the whole community to attend the program in the afternoon.

Phase III
The inaugural ceremony of the project came on as scheduled, in attendance were Traditional Heads, Heads of Schools, Opinion Leaders, Religious Bodies, Students and the General Public. Also in attendance was Morrich Film Production an affiliated media consultancy of Trinity Care and Needy Foundation, who came and performed a play to add to the unveiling of the vision of the foundation in alleviating poverty through vocational and technical training.

Most of the resource persons dealt with their respective topics and took the gathering through a systematic approach of problem solving mechanisms and informative responses to the issue of poverty. Other outstanding business speakers such as Mr. Harry Tedeku and Mr. Samuel Ansah spoke about the need to ensure the success of the project through the collective effort of the communities involved.

The Chief Executive Officer of Trinity Care and Needy Foundation, Rev. David Dwomoh also touched on the vision and mission of the Foundation and the selection of Ekwankrom and Jukwa to benefit from the project. He said “poverty can be eradicated if we can put our minds on the solutions than the causes and effects of poverty”. He called on all present to support the project from now to its implementation. He understood that such a project will encounter different phases of challenges but he reiterated that with oneness of mind and purpose we can all join hearts and hands to ensure the success of the project.

Ample opportunity was given to the audience to ask questions and contribute to the function. Based on the questions and contributions we realized that the whole communities are solidly behind the foundation towards this drive, but they were quick to add that they have been deceived by several bodies and agencies that have come there to present similar project.

Questioner forms were given to those who want to be part of the project to complete and hand it over to the Operations Officer (Rev. Jeph Bright Akwandoh) of the Foundation. One of the Speakers (Mr. Harry Tedeku) was moved to give an amount of 50 GH cedi (500,000) to one of the participants who incidentally needed to be supported with funds urgently.

Attached to this report are some of the photos during the program.


PROJECT BUDGETRY EXPENSES

DETAIL QUANTITY UNIT COST TOTAL


Flyers 200pcs 50GH
Refreshment 350GH
Stage Banner 1pcs lump sum 30GH
Town Banners 10pcs 22 220GH
Posters 1,000pcs lump sum 120GH
Invitation Cards 50pcs lump sum 25GH
Coverage (Video/Photographs) lump sum 200GH
Public Address System 1 Day lump sum 72GH
Canopies 6Rooms (20x20) 100,000 60GH
Chairs 500pcs 1000 50GH
TV lump sum lump sum 120GH
Resource Personnel’s Allowance lump sum 200GH
Refreshment for Medical Personnel lump sum 50GH
Staff Allowance 5 500,000 250GH
Project Administration 2 month’s 1,000,000 200GH
Miscellaneous lump sum 100GH

TOTAL 1897GH

FOUNDATION’S CONTRIBUTION 700GH

GRAND TOTAL OF AMOUNT SPENT 2597GH

EQUIVALENT IN DOLLAR = $ 2,886