Nyanfreku Ekroful

  • Overview
  • Medical
  • Water
  • Business
  • Public Health

Overview

Nyanfreku Ekroful is located near the coast in the Central Region of Ghana. A typical home in Nyanfreku Ekroful is made of mud, concrete blocks, or wood. People in Nyanfreku Ekroful are primarily dedicated to farming, fish mongering, day labor, and trading. There is a kindergarten, primary school, and junior high school in Nyanfreku Ekroful. There is a health clinic located directly in the community. Currently, wells and boreholes provide access to safe drinking water to 75% of homes in Nyanfreku Ekroful. Around 35% of homes have their own toilet facilities. There is an existing rural bank in Nyanfreku Ekroful that offers savings and loans services. The community expressed that their top needs are improved toilet facilities, improved water system, and an improved health clinic.

District: Abura/Asebu/Kwamankese

Region: Central

Homes : 994
Population : 4033
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : Yes
Electricity : Yes
Health Clinic : Yes
Midwife at clinic : Yes
Homes with toilet facility : 35%
Education : Up to junior high
Nearest GB Lodging Facility : Bobmah Hotel

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.

Nyanfreku Ekroful has a CHPS compound in the community that is staffed by nurses and 2 midwives. The most common illnesses in Nyanfreku Ekroful are malaria, coughs, and parasites.

105

Volunteers

1,888

Patient Consultations

554

Vision Screenings Provided

14

Health Education Workshops

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Nyanfreku Ekroful CHPS compound

Medical Brigade clinics are hosted in Nyanfreku Ekroful’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 4 educational workshops are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 528
  • NEARBY COMMUNITIES SERVED: ABURA DENKYIRA, GYAENOKROM, TAEDO, EWUSI, ATWEREBOANO, ANYABIREM, AMOANA

MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS IN NYANFREKU EKROFUL:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Northern Arizona University Medical Brigade May 2018 29
University of Texas Austin Medical Brigade January 2019 31
Chapman University Medical Brigade May 2019 30
University of Guelph Medical TeleBrigade April 2021 15

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Nyanfreku Ekroful 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
Homes connected to water : less than 1%
Water council : Yes

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

NYANFREKU EKROFUL’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 Nyanfreku Ekroful is farming and petty trading.

4

Volunteers

N/A

Loans Disbursed

N/A

Savings Accounts Opened

N/A

Capital Invested

NYANFREKU EKROFUL’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.

Nyanfreku Ekroful 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.

NYANFREKU EKROFUL’S BUSINESS SOLUTION

Brigaders press palm oil with the owner of DK Young Ltd. Palm Oil 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 Nyanfreku Ekroful will provide consultation to DK Young Palm Oil Processing business.

BUSINESS VOLUNTEERS IN NYANFREKU EKROFUL:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Bocconi University Business Brigade April 2019 4

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Nyanfreku Ekroful 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 : 35%
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