Our work in Ghana

Ghana’s capital city,  Accra, is one of the wealthiest and most modern cities on the continent. It’s currently experiencing a period of rapid growth and urbanization. 

Despite this growth, rural poverty in Ghana remains a significant issue, and is driven by factors such as a weak education system, inadequate healthcare, agricultural challenges, income inequality and inefficiencies in governance.

Focus issues in Ghana

Economic

Although the country’s GDP continues to rise with oil production, gold mining and other industries, the majority of this wealth is not distributed among the population due to high corruption.

As a result, most of Ghana’s poor live in rural areas without access to basic services such as health care and clean water. Additionally, food in Ghana is particularly vulnerable to price shocks, making basic food products unaffordable. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these conditions.

Agricultural

Most of the people living with hunger in Ghana are smallholder farmers living in rural areas. Small-scale farmers depend on outdated farming tools and lack access to improved seeds and fertilizers. This prevents them from increasing crop yields, which worsens hunger and poverty in Ghana.

Environmental

Many farmers rely on rain-fed agriculture, which is becoming increasingly challenging due to climate change. 

Gender inequality

Gender inequality is also a persistent concern, especially for Ghanaian women in rural areas, where they face limited access to resources, education and economic opportunities. In traditional Ghanaian society, women play vital roles in agriculture and local economies. However, today, rural women are not well-represented in community development or local politics.

Quick facts about Ghana

• The capital of Ghana is Accra.
• Ghana is bordered by the Côte D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Togo.
• Ghana achieved independence in 1957, making it the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to break free from colonial rule.
• Independence was followed by a turbulent period marked by several military coups, until the current democracy was established in the 1990s.
• The Ghana population has exceeded 34 million people. (World Bank Open Data)
• Ghana’s official language is English, although other languages such as Twi, Ewe, Ga, and Dagbani are widely spoken.
• Ghana’s culture is made up of a vibrant mix of over 100 ethnic groups, known for their rich traditions, colourful festivals, music, dance, and iconic art forms like kente cloth.
• Ghana’s major industries include agriculture, oil production, and gold mining.
• The largest of Ghana’s diverse ethnic groups are the Akan, Mole-Dagbon, Ewe, and Ga-Dangme.

Poverty & hunger statistics

• The 2023 Multidimensional Poverty Index reports 25.2% of Ghanaians are under the poverty line, while another 20.1% are susceptible to poverty. (UN Development Programme)
• A large majority of Ghanaians living in extreme poverty are in rural areas, where they live on less than $1.90 a day. (Statista)
• One million children under the age of five are chronically malnourished. (World Food Programme)

Partnering toward sustainable development goals.

The Hunger Project has been working in Ghana since 1995 to build sustainable community-based programs using the Epicenter Strategy. An epicenter is a dynamic center of community mobilization and action, as well as an actual facility built by community members. 

Typically 5,000-15,000 people from rural villages are brought together as a cluster. This gives villages more clout with local government than a single village is likely to have, while also increasing a community’s ability to collectively utilize resources. 

The epicenter building serves as a focal point where the motivation, energies and leadership of the people converge with the resources of local government and non-governmental organizations. 

Over eight years, the epicenter addresses hunger and poverty.It follows a  path toward sustainable self-reliance, until it gets to a point it canfund its own activities and no longer rely on financial investment from The Hunger Project.

Sustainable agriculture

Small farmers face many challenges such as poor soil conditions, pests, and inadequate irrigation systems.  THP-Ghana works with farmers to address these challenges by developing climate-resilient and sustainable farming practices. 

The Hunger Project recruits Animators (community volunteers) to train the community in well-tested farming techniques and technologies such as composting, micro-dosing, water management and row-planting. They also introduce inputs such as improved hand-held tools, seed varieties and compost starters to enhance their agricultural productivity.

The Animators then pass on their knowledge by training fellow villagers, who in turn extend their training to the farmers in more remote villages. Improving agricultural productivity is a key strategy for increasing food security and improving incomes on the small farms at the epicenter.

Meaningful access for women

THP-Ghana is piloting a new program in partnership with ISP-provider BlueTown, Microsoft and USAID, to support economic empowerment for young women by providing them meaningful connectivity and eliminating barriers for women’s digital inclusion.

Three epicenters in Ghana now host a fully connected ICT center, with trained micro-operators to assist women and the youth in accessing training and other important content stored on the cloud. 

This pilot program will connect around 6,000 women to vital resources and knowledge, helping them create lasting development in their communities.