(Palm Oil Processing Cottage Industry Initiative, continued.) Palm
fruits are readily available in the forest around the villages, but
without equipment to process the fruit, most of the profits do not
benefit villagers, but rather large conglomerates that have the
funding and equipment to process them. During 2003, concrete slabs
were poured, the roofing installed, and the palm oil processing
equipment was purchased, delivered, and mounted in place near the
village of Azani. Designed with the goals of empowering the village
women and helping to alleviate poverty for their families, the palm
oil processing operation is being conducted as a women’s co-operative
program. The women and their families benefit directly from their
labor. The cost for the site preparation, equipment, and installation
was $30,000+ U.S. dollars. In addition, seed money was provided to
purchase the initial supply of palm fruits for the Women’s Cooperative
and for proper care and maintenance of the equipment.
Part-time Bookkeeper and Palm Oil Processing Operator. FOG, Inc.
employed a local villager to be the part-time bookkeeper in charge of
managing and maintaining the accounts for the Greater Azani Palm Oil
Processing Women’s Cooperative and arranged for him to be trained in
the operation, care, and maintenance of the palm oil processing
equipment.
Medical care. FOG, Inc. arranged for Ghanaian doctors and nurses
to examine and provide treatment for almost 1,000 persons from the
villages of Azani, Busua, and the fishing village of Dixcove free of
charge. Medicines and medical supplies, some of which were donated
and others which were purchased by FOG, Inc. were distributed by the
medical personnel as necessary.
Dixcove School Assistance. Dixcove is a fishing village in the
western region of Ghana. Teachers’ desks and chairs and polyvinyl
water storage tanks to hold potable drinking water for the school
children were donated to the recently renovated Dixcove School as
part of our continuing partnership with Hingham Middle School children
and school children in Ghana.
Roofing materials and some labor were provided for the new
Methodist District Superintendent’s home in Dixcove where he and his
family will be helping to raise some foster children.
Busua Student Scholarships. Senior Secondary School students study for a
total of three years. As part of our ongoing partnership with the
Ladies’ Night Out group in Falmouth, Mass. and our commitment to
the 11
Busua students
who qualified for SSS, we continue
to provide scholarship assistance to these students.
