Ayeldu

  • Overview
  • Medical
  • Water
  • Business
  • Public Health

Overview

Ayeldu is located in the Central Region of Ghana. A typical house in Ayeldu is constructed of mud (adobe), wood, or concrete blocks. People in Ayeldu are primarily dedicated to fishing, cocoa growing, and animal raising. There is a small health clinic in Ayeldu. Students can attend school up until junior high school in the community, but for higher education, they must look elsewhere. There are 2 boreholes located in the community that provide access to safe drinking water to 40% of homes. Other community members must make the 20 minute round-trip journey multiple times a day to collect water from the nearby river. Around 10% of homes have their own toilet facilities. There is no community bank in Ayeldu that offers savings and loans services. The community expressed that their top needs are improved human resources for the health clinic, an extension of the electrical grid, and an extension of the schools’ infrastructure.

District: Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese (AAK)

Region: Central

Homes : 461
Population : 3086
Water System : Boreholes
Community Bank : No
Electricity : Partial Coverage
Health Center : Yes
Midwife at clinic : No
Homes with a toilet : 10%
Education : Up to Junior High School
Distance From Lodging Facility : 1 km

Medical

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

HEALTH CARE ACCESS:

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.

Ayeldu has a CHPS compound in the community. The most common illnesses in Ayeldu are malaria, cough, and skin disease.

86

Volunteers

1,320

Patient Consultations

139

Vision Screenings Provided

10

Health Education Workshops

BRIGADE INFORMATION

University of Texas San Antonio Medical Brigade in front of the Ayeldu CHPS compound

Medical Brigade clinics are hosted in Ayeldu’s CHPS Compound. Volunteers assist local doctors and community nurses to serve patients at each station of the clinic. Each day of the brigade, an average of  3 educational charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 768
  • NEARBY COMMUNITIES SERVED: Odompo, Bosome, Aponapondo, Breinyi, Nyamebekyere

MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS IN AYELDU:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Northern Arizona University Medical Brigade May 2018 29
University of Texas San Antonio Medical Brigade May 2019 30
Rexburg Area Medical TeleBrigade May 2021 27

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades has not yet implemented Water Brigades in the community of Ayeldu. Currently, the community does have a water committee to help support the current infrastructure within the community.  Global Brigades plans to start water programming in the community of Ayeldu as soon as feasible.

Water System : Yes
System Type : Boreholes
Homes connected to water : 0%
Water Council : Yes

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

AYELDU’S ECONOMIC CHALLENGE

Community members in Ayeldu rely primarily on fish mongering and animal raising to make a living. Reliance on agriculture and lack of access to basic financial services make economic growth in the community a serious challenge.

Access to credit is limited by 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 may not a common practice for many rural communities in Ghana.

7

Volunteers

N/A

Savings Accounts Opened

N/A

Loans Disbursed

N/A

Capital Invested

AYELDU’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.

Ayeldu has not yet established a Microfin “MHope group,” but will begin as soon as feasible. The shareholders of the MHope group will weekly to deposit savings and manage loans which are approved by all the bank’s members.

AYELDU’S BUSINESS SOLUTION

Ayeldu’s Women in Need cassava-processing business

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.

BUSINESS VOLUNTEERS IN AYELDU:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Carnegie Mellon University Business Brigade March 2019 7

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Ayeldu 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 facility : 10%
Common house materials : wood, mud, bricks

Local Reference Points

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

  • Feature