The Ehiamankyene Centre in the Eastern Region has been declared self-sufficient and established on a sustainable path to eradicating hunger in eleven villages, according to The Hunger Project, Ghana, (THP-G).
The eleven communities from various cultural origins, including Krobos, Ewes, and Akans, were brought together under the Epicentre in the Fanteakwa South District to take action to address their basic needs and progress toward self-reliance.
Mr Samuel Afrane, Country Director of THP-G, said that the Ehiamankyene epicentre, which run from 2009 to 2014 and 2019 to 2022, was successful due to the contributions of two Australian investors, Robertsons Foundation and Hey Tiger Chocolate Processing Company.
He was speaking at the celebration of self-reliance held at the Ehiamankyene Epicentre, which was organised by the Hunger Project in collaboration with the Hey Tiger Chocolate Processing Company.
He said an epicentre received a self-reliance status when it obtained an evaluation score of 80 per cent or higher overall under the following eight goals: community mobilisation, empowerment of women and girls, improved literacy and education, improved health, improved water and sanitation, improved climate-smart, reduced hunger, and reduced poverty.
Despite the communities’ strong history of success, Mr Afrane urged community members in the epicentre to focus on protecting girls in order to prevent teenage pregnancy and early marriage.
Mr Isaac N. Numoh, the Trainer of Trainees of Ehiamankyene Epicenter, described the development of an epicentre building as a major benefit to the communities that surround it.
“The building, which looks like ‘L’ shape has a food bank, now an agro-chemical shop, clinic, community bank, a kindergarten, also used as a library, nurses quarters and a toilet facility”, he said.
Initially, he noted that the epicentre community consisted of 15 communities; however, four communities failed to discharge their part of responsibilities and were therefore removed from the epicentre community.
Mr Ernest Ofosu, the Fanteakwa South District Chief Executive (DCE), said there had been no recorded cases of maternal mortality since the installation of the clinic at the epicentre.
“Before 2005, because there was no health facility serving these communities, they had to travel as far as Begoro where there was a health facility,” he said. “Therefore, the natives patronized more of the traditional treatment.”
Adding, “pregnant women usually suffered a lot because they wait till their situation gets critical before they visit the hospital because it was far. There was an increase in maternal mortality rate.”
Ms Berenice Owen-Jones, the Australian Ambassador to Ghana, stated that her country would be delighted to work with the Ehiamankyene centre in the future to achieve greater heights.
She praised the communities’ eagerness to work relentlessly to eradicate hunger and poverty, as well as to promote women’s empowerment and self-sufficiency.
Meanwhile, the Australian investors and THP-G have planted 13 cocoa plants and Two coconut plants to symbolise the construction of a self-sufficient epicentre at Ehiamankyene.
Since 1995, The Hunger Project Ghana has been enabling partner communities to overcome hunger and poverty through its comprehensive approach to rural development, known as the Epicenter concept.
Source:GNA