PCG IN AGRICULTURAL DELIVERY

1. PCG IN AGRICULTURAL DELIVERY • Over the years, the PCG has been involved in various development programs in the area of Agriculture • The church has 6 agriculture stations: • Southern Sector (2) • Northern Presbytery Agriculture Services (4)

2. The stations were set up in the 1960s to complement efforts at poverty reduction • The stations have served as training centres and still have the potential in providing such services to small holder farmers in Ghana

3. The Northern stations reach approximately a population of 40,000 with an average density of 100 person/km2, about 90% of the population are peasant/subsistence farmers with the overwhelming majority (60%) being women • PAS – Tamale • PAS – Langbensi • PAS – Garu • PAS – Sandema

4. To curb post-harvest losses and ensure food security, the PAS over the years have trained over 10,000 farmers to use modernized farming technologies

5. Many have been trained to construct mud silos using locally available materials as a result post-harvest losses have been reduced drastically

6. Farmers in rural communities supported to build mud silos for the storage of their food crops (maize, sorghum, groundnuts etc)

7. Short Duration Crops • In collaboration with the Savanna Agric Research Institute (SARI) under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Institute (CSIR) short duration varieties of maize, sorghum, soybean and groundnuts are given to farmers • These improved varieties are able to withstand drought and diseases which are major causes affecting production and productivity among small holder farmers

8. Examples of these varieties are: Variety Local Name Duration • Maize Obatampa60 days • Soybeans Salintuya1&2 60/90 days • Sorghum Dorado 90 days • Groundnut Maninpinta 90 or 120 days

9. Sorghum-dorado promoted

10. Farmers are getting good yields as a result of trainings received from field staff.

11. Farmer Production and Marketing Program • The PAS supported since 2005have been implementing a Farmers Agricultural Production and Marketing Project (FAMAR) • The aim is to build viable functioning agricultural chains through the establishment of a marketing company, strengthening of farmer based organizations (FBOs) and capacity building of stations project staff

12. FBO Development: • PAS have organized 521 Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs) into effective business oriented units • These groups are now negotiating with marketing companies and inputs dealers for better packages

13. Results (2011): • 9,422 farmers (4,332 males / 5,090 females) mobilized for production and marketing of value chain crops of soybean, maize and sorghum • Over 20,000 acreages cultivated annually with soybean (20%) and maize (60%). Sorghum 10% only because it does very well only in the upper east region • Productivity per acre has increased:maize 300 kg/acre to 800 kg/acresoybean 250 kg/acre to 1000 kg/acresorghum 200 kg/acre to 750 kg/acre

14. Key successes of PCG Interventions • Improved food security among farm families • Hunger gap reduced from 6 to 0 months • Increased incomes through market access, fair and guaranteed prices • Increased capacities of farmers in production and marketing and adoption of best practices • Improve access to inputs such as credit, fertilizers, seeds etc.

15. PCG HEALTH SERVICES • The Health Service program of the PCG was started 129 years ago, in 1885 • It has developed and expanded to benefit thousands of people in and outside Ghana • The PCG has 4 main Hospitals in Ghana including the oldest church hospital in Ghana -, AgogoHospital which was opened on March 21, 1931

16. The 2nd health facility, DormaaHospital had its first female doctor from Holland, Dr. Emmy Ode • The two other hospitals of Bawkuand Donkorkrom were from 1956 and 1985 respectively • The Church did not stop at providing medical care. It provides also Primary Health Care (PHC) services in the rural communities • PHC programme was started in Asante Akyem in 1979 and extended to Dormaa, Bolgatanga, Bawku, Sandema, Salaga, Tamale Rural, Afram Plains and Aowin-Suaman (Enchi)

18. The Church already trained Nurses in Agogo Hospital before the Second World War • A second Nursing Training Program was started at BawkuPCG Hospital • A third, Midwifery Training School, established by the PCG in 2011 at Dormaa-Ahenkro • With these developments, the PCG has become a major player in Health Service delivery in Ghana – a 3rd player in Ghana • It is currently running a total of forty-nine (49) health institutions in Ghana

19. PCG – 49 health institutions: • Four (4) District Hospitals • Nine (9) Sub-District PHC Outreach Programs • Thirty (30) Health Centres and Clinics • Two (2) Nursing and Midwifery Training Colleges • One (1) Nurses’ Training College • One (1) Health Technical (Maintenance) Unit • Two (2) Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Centres

20. These facilities provide a substantial portion of health services in the rural areas with a workforce of 1,977 and total hospital beds of 795 • The PHC interventions cover areas such as antenatal care, postnatal care, family planning, nutrition, growth monitoring of children under 5 years, immunization, health education, HIV/AIDS control and prevention, home-based care and counseling and clinical care

21. Some health centre structures

22. Health check in ruralclinic

23. Research on HIV/Aids in ruralclinic

24. Antenatal care for pregnant women

25. MEDA ASE! • AKPE! • DANKE! • THANK YOU! • DANK U WEL