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)

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

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

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

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

reduced drastically

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

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

Examples of these varieties are:

Variety Local Name Duration Maize Obatampa

60 days Soybeans Salintuya 1&2

60/90 days Sorghum Dorado 90

days Groundnut Maninpinta 90

or 120 days

Sorghum-dorado promoted

Farmers are getting good yields as a result of trainingsreceived from field staff.

Farmer Production and Marketing Program

The PAS supported since 2005 have 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

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

 

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

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.

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 -, Agogo Hospital which was opened on March 21, 1931

The 2nd health facility, Dormaa Hospital had its first female doctor from Holland, Dr. Emmy Ode

The two other hospitals of Bawku and 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)

The Church already trained Nurses in Agogo Hospital before the Second World War

A second Nursing Training Program was started at Bawku PCG 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

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

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

Some health centre structures

Health check in rural clinic

Research on HIV/Aids in rural clinic

Antenatal care for pregnant women

MEDA ASE!AKPE!DANKE!THANK YOU!DANK U WEL