CRS Work in Ghana

In the spirit of CRS' mission to work with the poorest and most underprivileged populations, CRS/Ghana focuses on the country's three northern regions (Northern, Upper West and Upper East). These regions are generally less developed and experience higher levels of poverty and food security than other parts of the country. In addition, the country program focuses its efforts in the south to address HIV and AIDS.

Working with local church and government counterparts, CRS/Ghana supports development and relief activities in several sectors including:

Education

CRS/Ghana supports three education programs: Food for Education, the School Health Education Program and the Quality Education Improvement Project. The Food for Education program aims at improving school enrollment and attendance, especially among girls, by providing on-site school feeding and take-home rations at the primary school level. The School Health Education Program has the goal of improving the health and nutritional status of school children by supplying micronutrient supplementation, deworming drugs, and health and hygiene education. The goal of the Quality Education Improvement Project is to improve children's school performance by sharpening the teaching skills of teachers and school inspectors through training.

Water and Sanitation

The Water and Sanitation project was initiated a year ago to complement the efforts of the three education programs. The project strives to improve the health of pupils and communities in areas where CRS has ongoing programs. With the collaboration of other partners, the project provides potable water and improved sanitation to school pupils and community members through the provision of boreholes, hand-dug wells and household latrines.

Health

CRS/Ghana implements a Child Survival program in the three northern regions of the country, an area characterized by seasonal and transitory food insecurity. This program aims to reach more than 240,000 people by 2008 by improving health and nutrition as well as access to quality and use of health care servicess. CRS/Ghana works in close collaboration with the Ghana Health Service and local communities to implement this program.

HIV and AIDS

CRS/Ghana is implementing a five-year HIV and AIDS care and support project which is aimed at improving the quality of life of 6,000 people living with HIV and AIDS and 4,000 orphans and vulnerable children in the target communities. The program is currently operating in 22 districts located within the Obuasi, Koforidua and Sekondi-Takoradi Catholic dioceses. The project is expanding to cover the Keta-Akatsi and Navrongo-Bolgatanga dioceses in 2006.

Safety Net

CRS/Ghana provides non-emergency humanitarian food assistance to vulnerable populations throughout Ghana. The project provides food assistance to people living with HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis patients, orphans, severely malnourished children, the physically and mentally challenged, those suffering from leprosy, and others in need who live in institutions, nutrition rehabilitation centers and pediatric wards. In 2005, the program expanded its support and assisted approximately 15,000 people throughout the country.

Peacebuilding

CRS/Ghana is working with the Damongo Diocese to implement the Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation project. Through the establishment of the Center for Conflict Transformation and Peace Studies, the center promotes peace and nonviolence, and mediates the resolution of violent social conflicts. The program operates through five dioceses of the northern regions, each of which has developed a Satellite Peace Center. These centers have trained more than 7,000 people in Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation and have mediated seven major conflicts. Other Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation activities include radio programs on peace, non-violence and good governance.

Emergency Response

CRS/Ghana provides emergency relief to victims of both natural and man-made disasters. The Upper East region in northern Ghana is prone to frequent drought, which affects food production — the primary way in which people in the region make a living. CRS/Ghana, in collaboration with the Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga, has provided 21,584 people from vulnerable households in the diocese with food.

Some specific examples of our work include:

• The Center for Conflict Transformation and Peace Studies promotes peace between the country's northern tribes. To date, over 700 people from various groups have received peacebuilding training.
• The Partnership Poverty Reduction Plan is a joint initiative between the Ghanaian Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga and the United States Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin. The project provides donkeys to poor, women in rural areas to assist them with agricultural activities and improve food security.
• The School Health Education Program has helped many children — like Bikiluktin — to live healthier lives.
• CRS' Food Program supports patients with tuberculosis at the Manhyia Hospital TB Ward.
• Building local capacity: a volunteer with CRS'. The Food Assisted Child Survival Program has received training and can now work as a health aide.
• The Water and Sanitation program provides rural villages with the most basic necessity — water and sanitation facilities.