FIFA’S FOOTBALL FOR HOPE CENTRE KICK-STARTS IN CAPE COAST




Oguaa Football for Hope Centre

By Kirsty Telfer (Projects Abroad)

Despite the disappointing performance of the Black Stars at the recent Africa Cup of Nations, the youth of Ghana are still passionate about their love for football.

The Oguaa Football for Hope Centre in Cape Coast is paving the way for the stars of the future. Inspired by FIFA, who collaborated with Play Soccer International/Ghana to develop and build the facility, the centre uses football to reach out to the most destitute children to help aid their development and build on their skills for a positive future.

Play Soccer Ghana launched in 2001 as the Play Soccer International Network's first pilot program and has expanded from a single site with 100 children to 896 children currently registered at twelve sites in four regions across the country.

Building on the legacy of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, FIFA promised to develop and help finance 20 football for hope centres in 15 countries in Africa, including 5 in South Africa. Working with non-government organisation (NGO) Play Soccer International, which is affiliated with Play Soccer organisations in 6 African countries, FIFA maintained they had a responsibility to aid development on the continent after the World Cup.

They therefore, along with grassroots organisations in the countries involved, set about building football-playing facilities to specifically benefit underprivileged children and those living in the most deprived communities.

Mr Abdul Wahab Musah (Manager, Oguaa Football for Hope Centre)

Mr Abdul Wahab Musah, Manager of the Oguaa Football for Hope Centre, who is also affiliated with Play Soccer Ghana, said sports development plays an essential role in assisting those children most in need of an education and gives the added benefit of playing football.

The centre runs on a 48-week curriculum and children aged 4-15 are invited to attend. The programme runs after school and every week a different skill is taught using football to engage, inspire and educate the children.

They are taught how to avoid malaria, are educated on the prevention of HIV/AIDS, issues regarding sanitation and hygiene and health related topics. Children are also taught essential leadership and social skills, which in turn helps to build self-confidence and a feeling of worth.

Mr Musah acknowledges the importance of an education alongside sport, and so the facility has a classroom where children do around 90 minutes of homework before playing football. He said the children are taught to understand that the career of a footballer is limited, and even those who make it to an international level need to have a profession and/or skill to use after their football career is over.

Play Soccer Ghana works in four regions, the Ashanti, Accra, Eastern Region and the Central Region.

Mr Musah said the success of Play Soccer Ghana was highlighted in the number of children who had turned up to register for the programme in the past. Previously limits had been placed on the number of children admitted due to a lack of funding.

He said it was estimated that over 500 children would turn up to register for the upcoming programme and he was confident that he would be able to accommodate everyone. Despite this, all children are means tested and interviewed before being offered a place on the programme. Having to decide which children do more deserve is by no means as easy task but has to be done due to such high demands.

One of the biggest challenges facing the children is transportation to the venue. Many children are willing to walk long distances to the centre, underlining the essential role the centre is playing in the lives of those children most in need.

The Oguaa Football for Hope Centre provides volunteer teachers to help children with homework before they play football. Other facilities at the centre include a computer lab, which is also open to high school students.

FIFA is sponsoring the centre for three years, with funding due to run out in 2013. They gave 50 percent of funds and the rest was provided by Play Soccer Ghana. Mr Musah said he believes this helps to sustain the programme and is confident that once the FIFA sponsorship ends, funds will be easily raised in and around the local communities.

However, he admitted that at the moment the Oguaa Football for Hope Centre receives no support from the government, although the Cape Coast district assembly is currently involved.

Another establishment run in conjunction with Play Soccer Ghana and at the Oguaa Football, for Hope Centre is Street Link; an organisation that targets adolescents aged 16-23.

Mr Musah said this is a vulnerable group most often neglected by society. He pointed out that Cape Coast has some of the best secondary schools in the country but current figures from the District Assembly show that it is a struggle to get even 30 percent of Cape Coast youth into good secondary schools.

Street League aims to get young people back into school or to provide them with essential skills to aid them in securing employment.

It works with young people who love football and who previously believed they could drop back from school in order to devote all their time to playing football.

Street League works with the young people to provide them with the opportunity to play football while also pursuing an education and/or a vocation.

Presently, 120 young people are involved in Street League, which runs on a 3-semester programme. The 1^st semester is concerned with identifying the needs of those involved, and like the Oguaa Football for Hope programme; all participants are interviewed and needs tested. During the 2^nd semester, external persons are invited to talk to the young people, educating them on life skills, development and opportunities for their future. Finally, the 3^rd semester is concerned with getting the young people back into school or into a vocation/profession of their choice and skill level.

Mr Musah said the programme, currently in its seventh month, was so far proving to be very successful. Some young people have been trained as security guards, receptionists, and others have successful made the transition back to secondary school.

Street League’s football matches have boys and girls playing together and without a referee. In this respect, the players have to work together to decide when it’s a foul etc. and only when an argument is unresolved does an external person step in to help.

A football team from the Cape Coast School for the Deaf play with those from Street League. This in turn helps to promote awareness of disability and gives the youth an opportunity to work on their communication skills.

There is currently no Play Soccer Ghana scheme in the Northern Region, although Mr Musah said he hopes this will change in the near future.

The FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, launched the first centre 2 years ago in South Africa.

As well as working in Ghana and South Africa, Play Soccer also has centres in Senegal, Cameroon, Malawi and Zambia.

One student benefiting from Street League is Louisa Baaba Cornelious. A promising footballer, Miss Cornelious left her job as a Nursery Teacher in order to devote more time to playing football. She was selected for the Street Link programme and now, as well as playing in their league games, is currently studying for a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) in Psychology at the University of Cape Coast.

Miss Cornelious also works as an intern to the centre, educating the children in the Play Soccer Ghana programme about the importance of learning as well as playing football. She admitted that the Street Link programme had offered her a tremendous opportunity and she realised the importance of an education alongside a career in football. She said her ambition was to play football for an international team, with FIFA agents occasionally coming to observe matches at the Oguaa Football for Hope Centre, remains hopeful about her future as an international football star.

A sign of the growing recognition and support within Ghana for Play Soccer Ghana’s core program is the support of renowned former captain of Ghana's National Team, Tony Baffoe, who recently agreed to become a "Goodwill Ambassador" for Play Soccer Ghana.

The Oguaa Football for Hope Centre reaches out, makes a difference to the lives of people like Miss Cornelious, and is committed to aiding the development of the youth of Ghana through a love for football.



The Administrative area



LIVE FM: A NEW STANDARD FOR THE CENTRAL REGION

by Caroline Berg (Projects Abroad)

Mr. Roland, a.k.a. Asaasewura Santana.

You hear it everywhere, in taxis, pumping out of spot bars and echoing through the streets: “Li-i-i-ive ef e-e-em! 107.5 Live FM. Your number one radio station.” In fact, the ubiquitous two-month-old radio station is dedicated to “Shaping the Coast.”

Although Cape Coast already has five other radio stations, Live FM promises a fresh alternative to its regional competitors.

“We are setting a standard,” said Gilbert Anaane Roland, a host for Live FM. “We have come to give [Cape Coast] quality entertainment.”

Although Live FM has succeeded in infiltrating Cape Coast’s radio frequencies, the real test will arrive when the station launches its regular programming. On March 1, Live FM will begin testing its “Drive Time” show, Akwaaba, hosted by Mr. Roland, a.k.a. Asaasewura Santana.

“Drive Time is not about playing music dedications,” Mr. Roland said. “It’s a serious business that you bring total inspiration and motivation to the audience.”

The program will run between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. when Mr. Roland believes the public needs inspiration the most.

“At 2:00 to 6:00, that is when people have the things they did in the markets they were not able to accomplish, so they need … something that can get them on to give them hope for the next day.” Mr. Roland said. “So, you give them entertainment—something that they can listen to and have fun with.”

The four-hour pilot show, Akwaaba, will begin with an inspirational segment, followed by interviews with entertainment personalities and phone-in discussions on topical issues to get listeners involved. Gospel music will play intermittently for the first two hours, followed by secular music for the second two hours.

Although Live FM is all about the music and entertainment now, the station plans to incorporate more news and educational programming as time goes on. Moreover, Live FM will collaborate with Okay FM in Accra to help out with the Cape Coast’s station’s news programming.

“Before the newspapers are available in the Central Region, the radio station in Accra will have already broadcast it,” Mr. Roland said. “We have competitors here [in Cape Coast] who are also picking from Accra, so by the time you get on the radio to put the headlines across, people have already heard them.”

According to Mr. Roland, Live FM will mix the Okay FM’s news with discussions of local issues and allow time for listeners to call in to voice their thoughts and opinions.

Despite the rumour mill, Live FM claims no affiliation with the NDC or any other political group.

“The perception out there is that when you are able to obtain your license in every administration, that means you have links [to the government],” Mr. Roland said. “We are neutral, and this will come across when we start our political programming.”

Apart from partnering with an Accra radio station for on-the-spot news broadcasting, most of Live FM’s DJs and hosts also come from outside the Central Region. Subsequently, 90 percent of Live FM programming will be conducted in Twi and 10 percent conducted in English. Nevertheless, Mr. Roland is optimistic communication between program hosts and the Cape Coast community will not be a problem.

“People who can speak Twi can understand Fante,” Mr. Roland said. “It’s just in general how you represent the message to the audience.”

Mr. Roland refers to Live FM’s special Valentine’s Day broadcast to prove his point. He said the response to the program was “massive” and listeners were apparently rallying for the show to continue past its schedule.

“What people want are catchy programs,” Mr. Roland said. “[Success] depends on the passion of the presenters on your radio and how they are able to get the issues across.”

The name, “Live,” supports the vibrant and active programming the station aims to convey. Live is of course the opposite of dead. Therefore, you can expect Live FM will not stand for stale or recycled programming. Instead, the station seeks to be the cutting edge not only for Cape Coast, but also for the Central Region and eventually all of Ghana.

Currently, Live FM is broadcast only in the Central Region, as well as some areas in the Western Region, but the station is looking to expand in the future. In addition, Live FM is working on its website to provide online radio service soon.

“We are not going to leave any stone unturned,” Mr. Roland said. “Five years from now, the sky won’t even be the limit for Live FM because there are footsteps on the moon.”

NHIS SHOULD COVER TRADITIONAL MEDICINE

Some of the patients who were cured of stroke

by Caroline Berg (Projects Abroad)

If 70 percent of Ghana’s population seeks traditional herbal remedies to cure its ailments, then why is traditional medicine not covered in the National Health Insurance Scheme?

“We are appealing to the medical personnel at the local hospitals to include traditional medicine in their services,” the Queen mother of Mankessim, Nana Amageduah I, said during a presentation at the Odo Pee Herbal Research and Learning Center in early February.

Over a dozen recovered stroke patients and a seven-man band came out to the research center to support and raise awareness of Ghana’s traditional medicine. The event also functioned as an appeal to the government to include traditional medicine in Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme. 

“[Orthodox] doctors know about traditional medicine, but they think it is inferior to their medicine,” said Bishop Okanto Davies, National Projects Coordinator for Health Education.

Nevertheless, interest in Ghana’s traditional medicine is growing steadily and people arrived from all over the country on Saturday to witness the healing power of the Odo Pee center’s alternative medicines.

Mr. John Kofi Sackey, CEO of the Odo Pee Herbal Research and Learning Center, led the presentation and invited each patient up to demonstrate his or her health. One woman ambled around the lawn with a cane, but then soon discarded the walking aid to march proudly on her own, which was met with great applause. 

“We want to make stroke hope for all those who are having stroke to be healed over here,” Mr. Kofi Sackey said, referring to the Odo Pee center.

Although the center has achieved great success in healing stroke victims of all ages, Mr. Kofi Sackey is calling on the government to come to the center’s aid. To better serve its clientele, the center needs more space, more beds and access to modern machines for further research into plant medicine and also for drug testing.

According to Mr. Kofi Sackey’s PR Officer, Mr. Samuel Sackey, the government had not responded to the center’s initial pleas for help.

“So, we took it upon ourselves that we will research herbal medicine,” Mr. Samuel Sackey said. 

After taking Odo Pee’s medicine to a scientific research center for standardization, it was approved for sale in the markets. Finally, Odo Pee’s products were certified by the government and will soon be used in hospitals alongside conventional drugs.

In general, proponents of traditional medicine are frustrated by the government’s lackadaisical response to the sector’s pleas for assistance. In Ghana, the ratio of traditional medicine practitioner to patient is 1:400, whereas the ratio of conventional doctor to patient is 1:20,000. 

One study conducted in the Sekyere South District of Ashanti revealed how patients must walk over 25 kilometers to access the nearest conventional health center. One subject voiced concern over the demands of such a trip, which could aggravate one’s illness and result in an unnecessary death. Subsequently, most people who live in Ghana’s rural regions seek traditional medicine practitioners in their own communities.

Besides proximity issues, the study found at least, 60 percent of Ghanaians also seek traditional medicine either because it is cheaper or they simply believe it to be more effective.

“I’ve witnessed so many traditional herbal clinics and I’ve seen that most of the herbs that are given in treatment to people sick with something serious like stroke, it is better that they use the traditional medicine,” Bishop Davies said.

Not only may traditional drug usage be more beneficial to the individual, but promoting and utilizing Ghana’s own rich stock of natural resources for medicinal purposes could also save the country millions of dollars on imported drugs. 

Moreover, annual global demand for traditional medicine is increasing exponentially and Ghana stands to benefit greatly in this sector. As is evident through China’s traditional medicine exports, which totaled in at 1.46 billion U.S. dollars in 2010, natural medicines are in high demand. 

Nevertheless, Ghana’s traditional medicine industry must tackle several significant issues before it may expect full government support and approval. The first key step for the industry is to organize a database of the country’s legitimate traditional medicine practitioners.

“We’re going to see that the policemen, who helped the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners, see that all the quack practitioners are out of the system,” Mr. Kofi Sackey said.

Starting in February, Ghana’s National Coordinating and Monitoring Evaluation Offices will begin weeding out charlatan medicine vendors, which is not a simple task. According to Mr. Sackey, some drug vendors who sell their products from the trunks of their cars, although they may appear suspicious, are actually safe sources for traditional medicine.

The proposed registration will help facilitate the important integration of traditional and conventional medicine practices in the nation’s health delivery system to complement each other through cross referral of cases to produce a more effective overall health delivery service.

Registration will require practitioners to provide their personal data, educational backgrounds and professional experience. In addition, practitioners are advised to document their research and practices to prove the quality and safety of their products and services. 

Where conventional medicine excels, Ghana’s traditional medicine lags far behind. The traditional sector has yet to fully develop cogent methodologies to prove product efficacy and ensure product quality. It must also standardize manufacturing practices, consistently test for product safety and conduct post-marketing surveys to pinpoint any adverse results. 

Those present at the Odo Pee center, however, appear prepared to see this arduous battle through.

“When you go to China or other African countries, they use traditional medicines,” Bishop Davies said.    But, it’s not like that.”

AAK CITRUS FARMERS APPEAL FOR SUPPORT

by Caroline Berg (Projects Abroad)

Citrus Farmers

For citrus farmers in the Central Region’s Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District, overabundance is not a gift, but a burden. Central Press reporters found a group of seven harvesters one Friday in February resting in the shade of their six-acre orchard, looking somewhat dispirited. All around them, copious amounts of oranges lay under each tree in various degrees of decay.

While the Central Region Development Commission (CEDECOM) boasts a large portfolio of social intervention and economic projects to help grow and enhance the Central Region, the citrus industry so far remains its own advocate.

“We have the product, but no producers,” said Anthony Sam, a Field Officer for Pinora Company LTD. “The fruit is going bad.”

Here in the Central Region, farmers are understaffed, underpaid and underrepresented. Moreover, market demand is sorely deficient.

Last year, a sack full of roughly 100 oranges sold for GH¢4 each. When the farmers asked for GH¢8 per sack, their buyers would not budge. In the end, the farmers received GH¢4.20 per sack.  The extra GH¢0.20 go to the hired hands who assist in loading and transporting the oranges.

“We want the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to at least collaborate with us,” said Kojo Prah, a farmer in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District. “At the moment, we do not receive any support from the government.”

Some farmers at their farm

According to Mr. Prah, the citrus in the orchard is going bad because he and his colleagues have no access to modern farming technology, including tractors to quicken the harvesting pace and pesticides to protect the citrus from rampant disease.

Obviously, no one wants to buy rotten or diseased fruit. Thus, productivity and buyer demand go hand in hand. Only when the farmers can produce a more desirable product may they expect incomes to better suit their hard work.

Another factor that is killing the citrus industry is the state of local processing plants. One citrus factory in the area has been defunct for decades and is now used as a private school, while another factory has been shut down for months due to malfunctioning machinery.

Consequently, Mr. Prah and his fellow farmers are calling on the government to make the citrus industry more attractive to investors.

“I would say to CEDECOM, they should help us,” Mr. Sam said, in accord with Mr. Prah’s grievances. “The farmers in the Central Region are really, really suffering.”

According to Mr. Sam, a working factory in the region could easily employ 200 to 300 people. With such a potentially fruitful citrus industry and ready workforce, how is it the government continues to ignore this agricultural sector?

Due to lack of support, increasingly more citrus farmers are abandoning the trade and cutting down their citrus trees. Even Mr. Sam is an example of the Central Region’s job bleeding in the agricultural sector. The young field officer is from the region and studied agriculture mechanics; however, he works out of the Eastern Region.

What the industry needs is better management. In November last year, the Cape Coast Farmers Cooperative Society Limited (CCFCSL) officially appealed to the government to establish some form of policy framework to actively help develop and promote citrus farming. Citrus farming is one of the largest fruit industries in Ghana with over 10,000 farmers across the country.

The creation of a Marketing Board would improve the standard of living for farmers, generate employment, boost local economies and alleviate poverty in the Central Region. In addition, the board would strengthen farmers’ negotiating powers and also assist in the production, harvesting, packaging, processing and marketing of all citrus varieties in the region.

“As for now, we farmers have no choice but to continue doing our job the way things are,” Mr. Prah said, “which is not providing us with positive results.”

BIO DISC HELPS IN OPTIMIZING BODY ENERGY.

by Caroline Berg (Projects Abroad)



A Bio Disc



Health hazards such as tumors and cancer are associated with exposure to radiation. It’s a fact that telecommunication towers emit radiation waves. Yet, all the leading scientific organizations, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Communications Authority, deny human health is at risk.

Dr. Patrick Agbesinyale of the Institute for Development Studies at the University of Cape Coast believes otherwise—telecommunication companies are withholding information from the general public just as cigarette companies denied the health risks of smoking cigarettes for so many decades.

Subsequently, at the Central Regional House of Chiefs’ first general meeting of the year, Dr. Agbesinyale came forward to present a revolutionary German product known as a Bio Disc.

“This thing is not designed to give you energy,” Dr. Agbesinyale said, lifting up the so-called chi pendant hanging from a rope tied around his neck. “What it does is harmonize and protect and optimize your own body energy.”

According to Dr. Agbesinyale, merely holding a powered mobile phone can sap 40 percent of a person’s energy. To demonstrate this phenomenon, Dr. Agbesinyale asked for a volunteer to come perform an experiment with him.

Dr. Patrick Agbesinyale

Dr. Agbesinyale told his first volunteer to hold his dominant arm out parallel to the floor. Dr. Agbesinyale then applied pressure upon the volunteer’s arm with his two peace fingers while the volunteer was instructed to resist against the pressure.

The volunteer’s second task required him to hold his mobile phone, with the power on, in his non-dominant hand and perform the resistance exercise again. The volunteer’s arm collapsed under Dr. Agbesinyale’s pressure.

For the third and final task, the volunteer traded his mobile phone in for the Bio Disc and he could once again resist Dr. Agbesinyale’s pressure.

Dr. Agbesinyale repeated this three-part experiment with another volunteer, who proved stronger, but still became visibly weaker when he held his mobile phone.

According to Dr. Agbesinyale, so-called e-smog is everywhere. Radiation from cell phones, computers, refrigerators, air conditioners, televisions, and all such modern devices, permeates the air around us. The Bio Disc thus acts as a shield against these negative energy waves.

The Bio Disc is made up of natural minerals fused together. It generates natural energy through the production of scalar energy frequencies, which is a complex and complicated science in and of itself. This is the stuff of quantum physics and very difficult to test beyond user testimonials.

The energy created by the Bio Disc rejuvenates molecular structures in all liquids. In other words, chemically altered water is converted back into its original pure condition. Therefore, if you drink tap or pipe water, you also need a Bio Disc.

“Ghana water is not healthy,” Dr. Agbesinyale said. “[The water companies] add tons of chemicals to stabilize the water, to kill the bacteria, to bleach the water, remove the odor and so on.”

Dr. Agbesinyale attributes Ghanaians’ low life expectancy rate to the country’s poor water supply. Change the water, he says, and Ghanaians will live longer. Water is 70 percent of the human body’s molecular makeup, after all.

“We think that it is all about good medical care to increase our life expectancy,” Dr. Agbesinyale said. “But if we keep our environment clean, why shouldn’t we live long?”

Consequently, Dr. Agbesinyale is holding presentations and spreading the word about the Bio Disc. He believes every person in Ghana should own one. Bio Discs are only available for purchase online and are quite expensive. One “Amezcua Biodisc”, for instance, costs 560 US dollars, plus 50 US dollars for shipping.

Nevertheless, Dr. Agbesinyale deems the Bio Disc’s health benefits well worth the investment, and will eventually save substantial money from hospital fees.

The Bio Disc claims innumerable benefits, besides purifying water and harmonizing a person’s energy. Reportedly, it also maximizes food nutritional values; extends the shelf lives of all fruits, vegetables and meats; enhances the immune system; increases blood oxygen levels; and cures ailments, including autism, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, migraines, rheumatism, asthma, kidney problems, allergies, jet lag, stress… Basically, the Bio Disc may tackle anything that is physically bothering a person, place or thing. The possibilities and uses are endless.

“Ever since I brought this [disc] back to my house, I’ve stopped going to the hospital and also to the pharmacy,” Dr. Agbesinyale said. “The same as well for my children.”

NO ELECTRONIC VOTING IN 2012 ELECTIONS

by Caroline Berg (Projects Abroad)



Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan



For the December general election this year, there will be no electronic voting or electronic counting. Instead, there will be a biometric registration, which will replace the old form of voters’ registration.

The Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, announced this change at a recent Editors’ forum in Accra.

Biometric technology is used to identify people in a more specific and scientific way beyond the usual biographic data. During the registration process, applicants will submit images of their ten fingerprints and a headshot photograph. The purpose of this biometric system is to prevent multiple voter registration and voting, as well as to mitigate incidences of voter fraud.

According to Dr. Afari-Gyan, biometric technology is an easier and cheaper system to deploy than other mass registration procedures. Also, biometric technology is the most reliable procedure, with over 30 years of testing. Lastly, submitting fingerprints and a facial photograph is the least obtrusive biometric method.

All pre-existing voter I.D cards will be replaced. Therefore, every eligible individual interested in voting must partake in this registration exercise.

A demonstration exercise on Biometric going on

The new registration will take a total of 40 days to complete nationwide. The EC is equipped with 7,000 digital registration kits to use across 23,000 polling stations. Prospective voters will be allotted a strict 10-day time frame to register. Nevertheless, there will be a limited “mop-up” period for those who missed registration due to a legitimate excuse such as traveling.

Although the biometric data will be able to identify and root out repeat registrations, the technology is unable to distinguish the difference in a set of fingerprints between a Ghanaian and a foreigner or between an adult and a minor.

“The security of voter registration is an issue that deserves maximum attention,” Dr. Afari-Gyan said.

To this end, Dr. Afari-Gyan said the EC has set up a technical committee comprising of Commission staff members and political party representatives, with the support of the biometrics vendor, to examine ways of achieving utmost data security.

To help ensure such security, biometric data will be collected transparently—that is, out in the open and only at the approved registration stations.

Secondly, data will be protected from unauthorized access. Registration officials will have to use their fingerprints to open or close computers containing the biometric data.

Thirdly, a printout of registered voters will be given to party agents at the end of each day to verify that the output of the registration is consistent with the input.

Finally, the EC has established a data recovery centre in case of potential data loss or system failure at the central database centre.

Registration officials of certain classifications are undergoing training now and officials who will oversee the actual registration will soon receive their trainings. Teams of six will manage voter registration in each “cluster” consisting of four polling stations.

The EC’s total budget for all the biometric voter registration, exhibition of provisional register, and presidential and parliamentary elections is estimated at GH¢243,528,305. Since funds have been provided on a timely basis, Dr. Afari-Gyan announced the EC plans to conduct the biometric voter registration from 24^th March to 5^th May, 2012.

If all goes smoothly, this new biometric identification system will quell the ongoing obstacle of voter impersonations. However, both technology and humans are capable of malfunctions and mistakes. Particularly on Election Day, there is very little room for error.

NHIS Should Cover Traditional Medicine Cost

by Caroline Berg (Projects Abroad)

If 70 percent of Ghana’s population seeks traditional herbal remedies to cure its ailments, then why is traditional medicine not covered in the National Health Insurance Scheme?

“We are appealing to the medical personnel at the local hospitals to include traditional medicine in their services,” the Queen mother of Mankessim, Nana Amageduah I, said during a presentation at the Odo Pee Herbal Research and Learning Center on Saturday. 

Over a dozen recovered stroke patients and a seven-man band came out to the research center to support and raise awareness of Ghana’s traditional medicine. The event also functioned as an appeal to the government to include traditional medicine in Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme. 

“[Orthodox] doctors know about traditional medicine, but they think it is inferior to their medicine,” said Bishop Okanto Davies, National Projects Coordinator for Health Education Malaria Programme at Mankessim.

Nevertheless, interest in Ghana’s traditional medicine is growing steadily and people arrived from all over the country on Saturday to witness the healing power of the Odo Pee center’s alternative medicines.

Mr. John Kofi Sackey, CEO of the Odo Pee Herbal Research and Learning Center, led the presentation and invited each patient up to demonstrate his or her health. One woman ambled around the lawn with a cane, but then soon discarded the walking aid to march proudly on her own, which was met with great applause. 

“We want to make stroke hope for all those who are having stroke to be healed over here,” Mr. Kofi Sackey said, referring to the Odo Pee center.

Although the center has achieved great success in healing stroke victims of all ages, Mr. Kofi Sackey is calling on the government to come to the center’s aid. To better serve its clientele, the center needs more space, more beds and access to modern machines for futher research into plant medicine and also for drug testing.

According to Mr. Kofi Sackey’s PR Officer, Mr. Samuel Sackey, the government had not responded to the center’s initial pleas for help.

“So, we took it upon ourselves that we will research herbal medicine,” Mr. Samuel Sackey said. 

After taking Odo Pee’s medicine to a scientific research center for standardization, it was approved for sale in the markets. Finally, Odo Pee’s products were certified by the government and will soon be used in hospitals alongside conventional drugs.

In general, proponents of traditional medicine are frustrated by the government’s lackadaisical response to the sector’s pleas for assistance. In Ghana, the ratio of traditional medicine practitioner to patient is 1:400, whereas the ratio of conventional doctor to patient is 1:20,000. 

One study conducted in the Sekyere South District of Ashanti revealed how patients must walk over 25 kilometers to access the nearest conventional health center. One subject voiced concern over the demands of such a trip, which could aggravate one’s illness and result in an unnecessary death. Subsequently, most people who live in Ghana’s rural regions seek traditional medicine practitioners in their own communities.

Besides proximity issues, the study found at least 60 percent of Ghanaians also seek traditional medicine either because it is cheaper or they simply believe it to be more effective.

“I’ve witnessed so many traditional herbal clinics and I’ve seen that most of the herbs that are given in treatment to people sick with something serious like stroke, it is better that they use the traditional medicine,” Bishop Davies said.

Not only may traditional drug usage be more beneficial to the individual, but promoting and utilizing Ghana’s own rich stock of natural resources for medicinal purposes could also save the country millions of dollars on imported drugs. 

Moreover, annual global demand for traditional medicine is increasing exponentially and Ghana stands to benefit greatly in this sector. As is evident through China’s traditional medicine exports, which totaled in at 1.46 billion U.S. dollars in 2010, natural medicines are in high demand. 

Nevertheless, Ghana’s traditional medicine industry must tackle several significant issues before it may expect full government support and approval. The first key step for the industry is to organize a database of the country’s legitimate traditional medicine practitioners.

“We’re going to see that the policemen, who helped the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners, see that all the quack practitioners are out of the system,” Mr. Kofi Sackey said.

Starting in February, Ghana’s National Coordinating and Monitoring Evaluation Offices will begin weeding out charlatan medicine vendors, which is not a simple task. According to Mr. Sackey, some drug vendors who sell their products from the trunks of their cars, although they may appear suspicious, are actually safe sources for traditional medicine.

The proposed registration will help facilitate the important integration of traditional and conventional medicine practices in the nation’s health delivery system to complement each other through cross referral of cases to produce a more effective overall health delivery service.

Registration will require practitioners to provide their personal data, educational backgrounds and professional experience. In addition, practitioners are advised to document their research and practices to prove the quality and safety of their products and services. 

Where conventional medicine excels, Ghana’s traditional medicine lags far behind. The traditional sector has yet to develop cogent methodologies to prove product efficacy and ensure product quality. It must also standardize manufacturing practices, consistently test for product safety and conduct post-marketing surveys to pinpoint any adverse results. 

Those present at the Odo Pee center, however, appear prepared to see this arduous battle is through.

“When you go to China or other African countries, they use traditional medicines,” Bishop Davies said.  “But, here in Ghana, we don’t use the traditional medicines because we feel that this is taboo.  But, it’s not like that.”

Monkey Forest Resort in Cape Coast

By Caleigh McLelland (Projects Abroad)

Cape Coast Castle, Kakum National Park and Anamabo Beach Resort are three attractions that are popular with tourists visiting Cape Coast. However, along the road to Kakum National Park sits another enjoyable, but seemingly less known attraction worth stopping at.

Monkey Forest Resort, owned by a man named Dennis and his wife, a couple from Holland, not only serves as a destination for tourists, but also as an animal sanctuary, which is home (temporarily and permanently) to a number of at-risk animals.

When you first arrive at Monkey Forest, Dennis kindly greets you at the gate. As you enter, the grounds look quite small at first, and with no previous knowledge of Monkey Forest, I assumed that the only animals I would be seeing were monkeys (which did not upset me in the slightest, as we were unable to see any earlier at Kakum National Park due to the time of day we went).

Nevertheless, do not let the name confuse you. Although Monkey Forest does have a handful of sneaky monkeys that will steal your jewellery and your wallet when you are not looking,

Dennis and his wife also care for a variety of other animals including crocodiles; African civets; genet cats; various types of snakes; a hyrax, which is, strangely enough, the closest living relative to the elephant; tortoises and parrots.

Monkey Forest, which has been open to the public since 2007, is not only a must see for tourists wanting something different to do; it is a must see for tourists and Ghanaians for educational purposes.

As you tour the sanctuary, which is bigger than it initially looks, Dennis’ wife talks about each animal as if they are her own children, explains why each animal is there and what the future holds for each of them. Some will be released back into the wild, while others will be kept at the sanctuary, because either they are too weak to be released, or because they would likely not survive in the wild as they have been in captivity for too long.

Although not too visually appealing until you climb the steps to the terrace, which overlooks the vast forest, it is just reassuring to know that there are people out there who recognise the need to educate the public about the threat that many of these animals are facing.

In Ghana, for example, the illegal export of parrots is a thriving industry, and the cruel way in which these birds are captured does not discourage the bird trappers, traders or buyers. Glue made from tree sap is spread onto sticks, which are then placed in trees. Sometimes bird trappers will tie a tame parrot next to the glue in hopes of attracting other parrots. When the parrots are trapped, they are painfully ripped from the glue, caged and transported across borders. I had no idea about this horrific industry until I visited Monkey Forest. Dennis and his wife are truly knowledgeable about the animals they care for.

The tour costs 12 Ghana cedis (all proceeds go toward feeding and taking care of Monkey Forest’s animals) and takes a little bit less than an hour to complete. Once the tour is finished, the couple asks you to join them for a cold beverage.

Dennis and his wife have many renovation plans for the future so they will be able to house more animals, and hopefully find mates for some of the animals currently there.

For more information about Monkey Forest Resort, visit www.monkeyforestresort.com, send an email to rubberaap@yahoo.com or call (+233) 0244 11 83 13.