Email:

info@acdep.org

Phone: 

037 202 3245

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ACDEP Financial Services
This project provides a model for facilitating and increasing access to credit and other financial services from banks by rural smallholder farmers, processors and other rural entrepreneurs.

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Health Projects
The health unit supports Primary Health Care Programmes to reach out to communities in new and innovative ways, exploring the use of communities own resources and capabilities

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The RESULT Project
The Project addresses the four basic elements of food security by increasing food availability, access, utilization and stability (i.e. resilience).

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Description: 

The Government of Ghana received a loan from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and African Development Bank (AfDB) towards the cost of implementing the Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP). The target area of NRGP comprises the three regions of Northern Ghana (Upper West, Upper East, and Northern) and five districts of the Brong Ahafo region contiguous to the Northern region. NRGP is an eight-year integrated pro-poor socio-economic development programme driven by the Value Chain Approach (VCA) in four commodity windows.

The VCA is a private sector driven economic growth and poverty reduction strategy. The commodity windows are:
i. The Industrial Crops Window (soya, maize, sorghum)
ii. The Fruits and Vegetables Window (Papaya, okra, chilli)
iii. The Women’s Crops Window (Shea, sesame, moringa)
iv. The Animals Window (Guinea fowl, small ruminants)

The industrial crops commodity window (soya, maize, and sorghum) has been selected for focus based on its market potential, financial viability, high outreach (potential to be grown in nearly all areas in northern Ghana), and low risk (farmers familiarity with the production technology).
In each of these chains, the programme is to develop efficient, transparent, and sustainable contractual business relationships between and among the value chain actors and service providers. The objective is to transform the structure and dynamics of the production and marketing of each of these crops. This should eventually lead to efficiency, increased productivity and production and ‘transformation and modernization’ of the agricultural sector. The critical actors in these chains are the farmers, input dealers, agricultural mechanization service providers, aggregators/buyers, agro-processors/industries, and consumers. Other essential service providers that fuel the process are financial institutions and technical service providers.

Essential to the success of these chains is the organization and support to farmers (small, medium, and large scale) not only to become efficient producers but also as full, knowledgeable, and active stakeholders in the value chain. This is in recognition of their critical and yet currently weak organization and role in the three commodities value chains. The programme will organize, strengthen and link these farmers to markets and other actors in the chain.

Role of the Facilitating Agency- ACDEP
ACDEP is the Facilitating Agency (FA) for the industrial crop window (soybeans, sorghum and maize) under the NRGP. This is being implemented all districts in the three northern regions and selected districts of the Brong Ahafo Region contiguous to the Northern region.

The FA is to:
(a) Facilitate the participation of commodity stakeholders in the development and implementation of the CBPs for the industrial crops and
(b) Assist in the strengthening of producer organizations and establishment of inter-professional bodies.

 

Activities

Title Description Status Date
Test Wa

Test Wa

 Implementation 10/23/2013

Implementing Partner

Name
 Description Type
Assemblies of God Relief and Services (AGREDS)

The Assemblies of God, Relief and Development Services (AGREDS) is a Church-based non-profit NGO that co-ordinates all the development and relief programmes of the Assemblies programmes of the Assemblies of God Church, Ghana.

 National NGO

ACDEP has been running a number of programs over the years with the broad aim of assisting local farmers to increase yields and get better access to markets along with fairer prices for their produce. This has been augmented recently with actions around building and strengthening the market value chains around key commodities produced in the Northern regions. ACDEP has successfully managed programs to tackle some these challenges using both study based and implementation only approaches through our network of regional offices and member stations.

Background

The Northern regions of Ghana are be-devilled with a plethora of problems, which include low agricultural production, inadequate health educational facilities, roads, electricity supply, water supply, communication facilities etc. Whilst acknowledging the historical basis for this state of affairs, it must also be acknowledged that the people of Northern Ghana, governments past and present, and the international community are all pulling resources to reverse this precarious situation. Regrettably however, the poverty levels are only falling slowly and sometimes continue to rise which is a source of great concern. For instance it is estimated that on the average 7 out of 10 people in Northern Ghana are poor or extremely poor, as compared to 2 out of 10 poor or extremely poor people in Southern Ghana. (Source UNDP MDG Report 2008) Farming remains the main stay of over 70% of the people in Northern Ghana, providing the needed income for paying school fees, medical bills, casual farm labour, fuel, and other family expenses. The reasons for this are many and varied but a key one remains difficulty in accessing markets and attracting fair prices for their produce.

Projects

Project Name Description Status Start Date
Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP)

The Government of Ghana received a loan from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and African Development Bank (AfDB) towards the cost of implementing the Northern Rural Growt

 Implementation 1381622400
Expanding Climate Change Resilience in Northern Ghana (ECCRING)

Climate change is directly impacting lives in Northern Ghana. Climate change adaptation is about enabling communities to anticipate and cope with the effects of climate change.

 Implementation 1381449600
Ghana School Feeding Program (GSFP)

In an attempt to reduce poverty, the Government of Ghana in collaboration with the Dutch Government started a school feeding program in 2005, known as the Ghana School Feeding Program (GSFP).

 Completion 1065657600 to 1382832000
Advance

The Ghana Agricultural Development and Value Chain Enhancement (ADVANCE ) Project is a 4-Year USAID sponsored project awarded to ACDI/VOCA and being implemented in partnership with a team of agenci
FAMAR Phase II

Due to the successes achieved in Phase 1, a new round of funding received from ICCO and EU. FAMAR project phase 2 started in January, 2008 and ends December, 2011. It is a 4-year project.
FAMAR Phase 1

The Farmers’ Agricultural Production and Market Project phase I (FAMAR I) was launched by ACDEP in October 2004 with funding from ICCO and PSO, both Netherlands based NGOs, to address the problems

Implementing Partner

Name

Description

Type
Zasilari Ecological Farms Project

ZEFP is a local and non-profit making development NGO which networks, advocates, and also provides support to Women and Farmer Associations with the aim of complementing the nation’s efforts in fighting rural poverty in the northern Ghana.

 Regional NGO
Assemblies of God Relief and Services (AGREDS)

The Assemblies of God, Relief and Development Services (AGREDS) is a Church-based non-profit NGO that co-ordinates all the development and relief programmes of the Assemblies programmes of the Assemblies of God Church, Ghana.

 National NGO

Background

ACDEP health unit is responsible for the development and implementation of the organization’s health interventions. The unit implements its programme largely through its network church-based Primary Health Care (PHC) members whose operational areas are mostly rural.

The health unit supports these Primary Health Care Programmes to reach out to communities in new and innovative ways, exploring the use of communities own resources and capabilities. The added value of ACDEP health programme to these primary health care programmes rest in the unit’s role of identifying the gaps in these programmes and bridging them through innovative and complementary interventions.The aim ultimate aim of ACDEP health Unit is to promote effective, efficient and sustainable health care that and meets the needs of communities whilst empowering them.

Purpose:

To enhance the adoption of innovative and complementary community -based health care approaches into the health delivery system

Objectives:

  1. To strengthen the mainstreaming of adolescent reproductive health activities into the primary health care programme of 9 ACDEP members
  2. To strengthen and consolidate the linkage between Traditional Medicine and 14 Orthodox Health Practitioner and improve the practice of 700 traditional medicine practitioners for better health care in 100 rural communities
  3. Strengthen the capacity of 300 TBAs as change agents in promoting maternal health in 100 rural communities in Northern Ghana
  4. To improve the nutritional status of 1,000 children aged 2-5 years within the catchment area of 12 ACDEP- member PHC programme

project desired outcomes

  1. Effectively mainstreamed adolescent reproductive health programme in place at nine (9) ACDEP-member PHC programmes
  2. Linkage between seven (700) traditional medicine practitioners and fourteen (14) health facilities strengthened
  3. Three regional associations and one apex associations of traditional medicine practitioners strengthened
  4. Three hundred (300) traditional birth attendants trained and linked to twelve (12) ACDEP- member PHC programmes
  5. Reduce Maternal deaths by 20 % in project catchment area
  6. ACDEP Health Unit’s capacity and advocacy role strengthened
  7. Experiences and lessons learned documented (electronic and print) and shared with partners, collaborators, and other agencies through workshops, publications, audio-visuals and website

Implementation Strategy

This project seeks to firm up the mainstreaming results and process of ACDEP Health Programme Phase II whilst charting a new course for ACDEP Health Unit by:

  1. Addressing the gaps identified in ACDEP Health programme Phase II to ensure effective mainstreaming of the programme components
  2. Strengthening the Traditional Medicine Project in the Upper West Region
  3. Piloting the Nutrition and Maternal Health components of the project for possible upscale
  4. Strengthening ACDEP’s Advocacy actions on Traditional Medicine and Maternal Health
  5. Exploring the use of Information Communication Technology tools to strengthen project components
  6. Strengthening the capacity of ACDEP health unit for effective programming, documentation and publication

Key Activities

Adolescent Reproductive Health Project

  • Formation of in-school and out of school adolescent health clubs
  • Training of peer educators
  • Training of club coordinators (school teachers)
  • Training of health staff
  • Establishing adolescent corners/ICT4D centers
  • Providing adolescent friendly SRH services and Information

Traditional Medicine Project

  • Identification and training of traditional medicine practitioners
  • Holding Interface/experience sharing platforms for health facility staff and Traditional Medicine Practitioners
  • Facilitation of registration of TMPs with GHAFTRAM and traditional medicine council

Maternal Health Project

  • Provision of Tricycle Ambulance
  • Training of Traditional Birth Attendants
  • Provision of Emergency Delivery Kits to Traditional Birth Attendants
  • Provision of colored arm bracelets to promote Antenatal Attendance
  • Establishing linkages between Traditional Birth Attendants and Midwives at health facilities

Nutrition Project

  • Nutrition educationCooking demonstrationsTraining of mother to mother support groups

Connect for Change (C4C)

  • Training of Project Staff in ICT skills
  • Procurement and Deployment of ICT equipment at project sites to facilitate health care delivery services and community health promotion
  • Establishment of Health Management Information System (HMIS)
  • Provision of Technical Backstopping

Project Scope

The health unit has a network membership of fifteen(15) Church-based Primary Health Care programmes in Northern Ghana. Currently, ten (10) ACDEP-member PHCs are actively engaged in the implementation of various projects in nine(9) districts in Northern and Upper East Regions. In the Upper West Region, ACDEP collaborates with Ghana Health Service (GHS) to implement its programme.

Northern Region

  • Kpandai District
  • East Mamprusi District
  • West Mamprusi District

Upper East Region

  • Bongo District
  • Nabdam District
  • TalensiDistrict
  • Garu-Tempane District
  • Pusiga District
  • Builsa North District

Upper West Region

  • Jirapa District

Staff Strength on project

Three (3):

  • Programme Manager
  • Project Officer
  • Field Officer
  • CORDAID
  • IICD
  • TTC

4.      details of contact person (Programme Head)

Esenam Kavi (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) who is currently the Team Leader of the Health Unit joined ACDEP in January 2008. She is responsible for the development, Implementation and Management of the health sector programme. She holds a BSc in Community Nutrition from the University for Development Studies, an MSc in Managing Rural Development from the University of London and a Master’s degree in Public Health (MPH) from the Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam. She has over eight (8) years of experience in health development in Northern Ghana.

Projects

Project Name Description Status Start Date
Traditional Medicine Project (TMP)

In N Ghana around 80% of the population rely on traditional herbal remedies prepared by traditional medicine practitioners (TMP’s) for their primary healthcare needs.

 Completion 1176422400 to 1381363200
Adolescent Reproductive Health(ADRH)

The Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) approach which ACDEP initiated in 2000 as an extension of its PHC approach to health promotion has become one of the major strategies used for intervention
Connect4Change

Connect4Change is a consortium of five Dutch development organisations (Akvo, Cordaid, Edukans, ICCO, IICD and preferred partner Text to Change ) who joined hands to accelerate the development of p

 Implementation

I

ACDEP, together with the church development programs in northern Ghana, have made gender issues and inclusion in general, an integral part of their development activities. The issues confronting women in northern Ghana, irrespective of religion, ethnic group and HIV/AIDS status, are wide and varied and there are many entrenched inequalities; patriarchal family structures, socio-cultural beliefs and practices, institutional and political factors have all worked together to push women to the background, thus limiting their economic development and social status. Although many efforts have been made in this area, the impact has historically not been huge and ACDEP believes this can be attributed to the fact that addressing the basic needs of women without tackling their strategic needs, concerns and potentials would not achieve desirable results for sustainable impact.

It is against this back drop that gender awareness education and advocacy and the involvement of women in decision-making processes is crucial, if women are to benefit from these efforts and results on sustainable basis.

Background

In 1996, ACDEP started a pilot project with Amnesty International and FORWARD-UK to educate communities and build community and district level structures for the eradication of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The success of this initiative encouraged ACDEP and FORWARD to develop a joint proposal in 2000 to educate communities and build community and district level structures aimed at eradicating gender-based discrimination. It is also to build the capacity of regional and district level institutions whose work directly or indirectly impact on women. This led to the development of the gender and reproductive health program which started officially in January 2004.

Strategy

ACDEP also ensures that the needs and the inclusion of women are a key element in all their development programs and this can be clearly seen across the other Development Program areas. For example, ACDEP Financial Services now arranges credit for over 2,700 women who were previously excluded from any financial access. This number is growing around 30% year on year.

Projects

Project Name Description Status Start Date
Gender Awareness Education and Advocacy Program 2006-2008

The success of the Gender and Reproductive Health Program encouraged ACDEP to source for funding and expanded this program to four gender programs under the Anglican Diocesan Development & Reli
Gender and Reproductive Health program 2004-2008

Program Purpose
To create mechanisms for the elimination of gender-based discrimination and improve the living standards of women.

Implementing Partner

Name
 Description Type
Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Diocesan Development Office (NABOCADO)

Until 1991, the Diocesan Health Office (DHO) operated independently of the Diocesan Development Office (DDO).

 National NGO

Subcategories

Health & Social Services

Northern rural growth programme

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Our Location

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Address
ACDEP
P.O. Box 1411, Gumani Road
Tamale, Northern Region, Ghana
Phone: +233 37 202 3245
+233 37 202 3807
E-mail: info@acdep.org
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