Location
This project is being implemented in a rural farming community in the Upper West Region of Ghana.
Community Description
The main occupation of the community is farming. Because of the short rainy season, there are severe problems of food shortage and malnutrition, resulting in high infant mortality.
Project Description
This project, administered by the Community Health and Planning Services (CHPS) Clinic, will implement an educational program for the mothers of the community on the benefits of the moringa tree and will distribute moringa to the community.
Moringa has been recently rediscovered, and is now sometimes referred to as the “miracle tree”. It is drought resistant, and contains very strong concentrations of vitamins, iron, calcium, protein, and zinc, which are all essential for proper growth.
Project Impact
This project will result in a great improvement in the nutrition of the community as a whole, and children and pregnant women in particular. Attacking malnutrition by providing a reliable and available food source will impact upon the infant mortality rate due to malnutrition usually seen in developing countries.
Prior experimentation in the use of moringa in Ghana has shown that within a month or so of using the leaves, the conditions of most malnourished children greatly improves. It has also been shown to boost the immune system.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
N. Conway
Comments
This project is different from any previous project undertaken by Water Charity and the Appropriate Projects initiative, in that here we are not directly providing for “hardware” on the ground. However, it relates directly to our mission, as it reduces death and disease and improves health and well-being in a community where there is a shortage of water.
In 1961, Ghana was the first country in the world to welcome the Peace Corps. Since that time, Volunteers have served with distinction in a number of project areas. We are pleased to support this small but extremely significant project, coordinated by a Peace Corps Volunteer, because of the great impact it will have in spreading the use of the moringa tree in areas of drought where the people are suffering from malnutrition.
The project gives a huge “bang for the buck”, and is replicable and sustainable.
Dollar Amount of Project
$167.00
Donations Collected to Date
$167
Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project was fully funded through the generosity of Green Team Arrowhead
This project has been concluded.