Essuehyia

  • Overview
  • Medical
  • Water
  • Business
  • Public Health

Overview

Essuehyia is located near the coast in the Central Region of Ghana. People in Essuehyia are primarily dedicated to farming and trading. There is a kindergarten, primary school, and junior high school in Essuehyia. There is a health clinic located directly in the community. Currently, standpipes, rainwater harvest, wells, and boreholes provide access to safe drinking water to 40% of homes in Essuehyia. Around 35% of homes have their own toilet facilities. There is an existing rural bank in Essuehyia that offers savings and loans services. The community expressed that their top needs are improved toilet facilities and a maternity unit & pharmacy for the health clinic.

District: Ekumfi

Region: Central

Homes : 450
Population : 3139
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : Yes
Electricity : Yes
Health Clinic : Yes
Midwives at clinic : Yes, 4
Homes with toilet facility : 35%
Education : Up to junior high
Distance from nearest GB Lodging Facility : 30-60 minutes

Medical

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

HEALTH CARE ACCESS:

Essuehyia Health Center

There are two types of public health clinics available to rural Ghanaians: Health Centers and Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds. Health Centers serve large geographic areas within a district and are staffed by physicians. CHPS compounds serve small clusters of communities and are staffed by live-in nurses. The nurses provide basic services and, if capacity allows, they conduct home visits to families in the communities. 

Even with this coverage, it is important to note that medications, equipment, and essential infrastructure are often not available in these clinics and the physician density in Ghana remains around 0.2 physicians per 1,000 people. According to the World Health Organization, there should be a minimum of 2.3 physicians per 1,000 people to qualify a country as having adequate access to medical attention.

Another key factor for health care access in Ghana is insurance. Ghana’s National Health Insurance plan offers universal coverage, but few rural community members are actively enrolled. During Medical Brigades, community members are educated about the benefits of health insurance, and are encouraged to enroll (or re-enroll) in the National Health Insurance Plan.

Essuehyia has a Health Center in the community. The most common illnesses in Essuehyia are malaria and chest infections.

180

Volunteers

3,632

Patient Consultations

841

Vision Screenings Provided

25+

Health Education Workshops

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Brigaders observe a patient consultation from GB Ghana Medical Program Manager, Dr. Cornelius, in Essuehyia

Medical Brigade clinics are hosted in Essuehyia’s Health Center. Volunteers assist local doctors and community nurses to serve patients at each station of the clinic. Each day of the brigade, an average of 10 educational charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 728
  • NEARBY COMMUNITIES SERVED: Asaakyir, Asaman, Ekotsi, Kokodo

MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS IN ESSUEHYIA

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
University of Miami Medical Brigade May 2017 21 Pennsylvania State University Medical Brigade May 2018 21
University of Washington Professional Schools Medical Brigade May 2018 26 Central Michigan University Medical Brigade March 2019 32
 University of Connecticut Medical Brigade January 2020 38 Rutgers University – New Brunswick (New Jersey Medical) Medical TeleBrigade March 2021 20
Walton High School February 2022 22

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Essuehyia but has not yet begun with the Water Brigades program.  Now in the planning phase, implementation of a water solution will start as soon as feasible.

 

Water System : Yes
System Type : boreholes, wells, rainwater harvest
Homes connected to water : 1%
Water Council : No

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

ESSUEHYIA’S ECONOMIC CHALLENGE

Rural communities in Ghana face a number of structural obstacles when it comes to economic growth. Access to credit is limited by physical barriers in transportation and exclusion from formal financial institutions. If community members aren’t able to access these institutions, their only option is to solicit credit from loan sharks, who charge exorbitant interest rates. Additionally, maintaining savings is not a common practice in rural communities in Ghana.The main source of income in Essuehyia is farming and petty trading.

24

Volunteers

19

Loans Disbursed

10

Savings Accounts Opened

$3,974

Capital Invested

ESSUEHYIA’S MICRO-FINANCE SOLUTION

GB Ghana Business Program Manager, Shiella, consults with an MHope Group in Ekumpoano

The GB Business Program works with Microfin Rural Bank to stimulate the local economy by organizing community volunteers around a community bank which is entirely owned and operated by its members. Focusing on providing access to credit and savings for their fellow community members, its volunteers are tasked with socializing the community bank and managing the funds. Microfin and the GB Business Program provides training and support to help strengthen these community banks and stimulate the flow of capital within the community. These financial services are especially beneficial for subsistence farmers and entrepreneurs, who can invest more heavily in their production with a loan, pay back the loan after sales, and generate an income with any excess.

Essuehyia has one Microfin “MHope group”: Never Too Late (est. October 2018). The shareholders of the MHope group meet weekly to deposit savings and manage loans which are approved by all the bank’s members.

ESSUEHYIA’S BUSINESS SOLUTION

In addition to working with the community banks, the Business Program provides support and technical skills in establishing anchor businesses that generate additional capital. The goal is to better integrate isolated communities into the local economy and allow for growth. During this process, interested community members receive training to increase their familiarity with business terminology, develop their business administration skills, and promote innovation and diversification in the types of business ventures they pursue.

The Business Program will start hosting Business Brigades in Essuehyia to study the local market in hopes of identifying and developing potential business opportunities for the community as soon as feasible.

BUSINESS BRIGADES IN THE ESSUEHYIA:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Triniti College October 2021 24

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Essuehyia but has not yet begun with the Public Health Brigades program. Now in the planning phase, implementation of a public health solution will start as soon as feasible.

Homes with toilet facilities : 35%
Common house materials : bricks, mud, wood

Local Reference Points

View the map to see the closest volunteer lodging facilities, hospitals, and other relevant points of reference.

  • Feature