GHANA
Ghana Quick Facts
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Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first Sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence
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Geography: 238,533 sq km with 4.6% accounting for water
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Climate: tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
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Terrain: mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
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Economy Overview: Ghana has a market-based economy with relatively few policy barriers to trade and investment in comparison with other countries in the region, and Ghana is endowed with natural resources.
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GDP-composition, by sector of origin: agriculture - 18.3%, industry - 24.5%, services - 57.2%
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Population: 29,340,248 (2020 estimate)
Awutu-Mankessim is a traditional area in the Central Region of Ghana where Praxis Africa has forged a partnership with Nai Kwao Otuo V to develop agriculture, education and energy projects that will enrich the lives of the people in the community.
Nai Kwao Otuo V was the Ankobeahene of the Awutu Traditional Area and the Chief of Awutu-Mankessim. He was the longest serving chief in Ghana, having sat on the stool for 58 years.
He served as the President of the Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen (GNAFF) and was named the 2015 Small Scale Farmer of the Year in the Agonaman region of Central Ghana.
Education - Minnetonka-Ghana Connection: Bridging an Ocean with Education
Education is one of the pillars of the Awutu-Mankessim development strategy. Several donor partners have supported these education initiatives by buying school supplies and math sets and providing money to pay for deserving students to take their high school entrance exams.
Minnetonka Public Schools began its partnership with Awutu-Mankessim in early 2013. Since then students and parents have raised funds for:
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60 solar study lights – provided by MHS Rotary Interact Group
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3,000 – 4,000 books provided by Clear Springs families
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60 flash drives – provided by MHS Rotary Interact Group
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350 Minnetonka Mesh bags from the Clear Springs PTO
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$s for school supplies and math kits (primary schools) – provided by Clear Springs families
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$s for junior high science books
The Farm
Our 49-acre farm is located several kilometers outside the city of Bawjiasi where we grow maize, paw paw and cassava. We have worked together with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to grow an 8-acre nursery for cassava cuttings to be distributed to small holder farmers in the area.
Cassava Processing Plant: Creating Opportunities for Local Farmers
Cassava is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people.
Ghana is one of the world’s leading cassava producers, however, due to lack of processing capacity, much of the cassava Ghanaian farmers produce is underutilized. Most cassava farmers in the Awutu Mankessim region do so on a subsistence basis. They and their families do not reap the full potential of their efforts.
Making Gari
The Awutu Mankessim cassava processing plant will take raw cassava from the area’s 1700 farmers and process it into gari, a highly versatile staple with a long shelf life. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations says that processing cassava into gari is one of the most promising value addition activities for the
area due to high demand and income elasticity resulting in favorable prices.
The Farm Channel is a multi-media communication platform, 100% dedicated to agriculture, food and rural Development in Ghana, West Africa. It focuses on the development of agriculture value chains and those who will disseminate relevant information to farmers, suppliers, buyers, investors, lenders, policy makers and consumers.