Annual Report: January-December: 2020

1.0 BACKGROUND

The FOCEP in partnership with the Christian Blind Mission (CBM) initiated the Foundation for Community Empowerment Programme (FOCEP) programme over four decades ago to tackle challenges imposed by river blindness in some parts of Northern Ghana. From the onset, the targeted group was visually impaired persons who urgently needed help after losing their sight through onchocerciasis. Later, other disability types (mental, physical, hearing /speech and/or multiple) were incorporated and the programme has since been engaged in activities geared towards improving their living conditions to enable them live decent, satisfactory and self-fulfilling lives. Thus, in collaboration with development agencies (both governmental and non-governmental), the programme has been working to reduce the ills of poverty, discrimination and social exclusion of persons with disabilities through well-structured programme activities in five thematic areas namely; health, education, livelihood, social and empowerment/advocacy.

Currently, the programme coverage area includes six political districts namely: Mamprugu Moaduri District, Bawku Municipal, Binduri, Pusiga and parts of Bunkpurugo Yonyoo.

Within the period under review, a number of successes were chalked to bring smiles into the faces of persons with disabilities amidst daunting challenges as reported in the ensuing details.

2.0 STAFF STRENGTH

In respect of staffing, the programme currently has a total of 22 Staff members ( 4 Administrative, 7 Programme Officers, 4 Mental Health Nurses, 1 ICT Facilitator, 1 Driver, 2 Security men, 1 Cleaner , 1 Guest House keeper and 1 Evangelist ).In addition there are 78 Community Volunteers who augment the efforts of programme officers in various communities.

3.0 OBJECTIVES FOR THE YEAR UNDER CONSIDERATION

• Identify, Assess and Register 850 new PWDs for FOCEP Interventions
• Access to health and community services assured to at least 3500 PWDs and their family members.
• Facilitate Access to inclusive education for 800 Children with Disabilities
• Improve incomes and food security for 2,500 PWDs and their households through self-employment and income generating activities.
• Increased participation of PWDs and other vulnerable groups in communities
• Improve internal resource mobilization and administrative efficiency of the programme

4.0 PERFORMANCE

 4.1 Newly Identified FOCEP Clients

In all a total of 365 persons with disabilities (163male and 202 female) were identified and registered for FOCEP interventions within the period under review. The table below shows the disability types of these new clients:

Table 4.1.1 Disability Types of Newly Identified Clients

Source: Field Reports

4.2 Activities and Results

• Orthopaedic review and consultation sessions were held for 346 clientele (102 male, 244 female) in collaboration with the Nsawam orthopaedic mobile team. These took place in Garu, Denugu and Nakpanduri service points. 166 of these clients had their assistive devices repaired whilst 8 were referred to Nsawam orthopaedic center for surgery and prosthesis. In addition, 31 physically impaired clientele identified during community surveys were referred to the Presbyterian orthopaedic and physiotherapy unit of the Bawku Hospital for further assessment and intervention. In collaboration with the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled (GSPD), 30 PWDs received assistive devices to enhance mobility. These included crutches, walkers and standing frames. The interventions in this respect have resulted in improved mobility and integration of clientele in the social, political and economic life of their communities.

• Home based physiotherapy delivered to 270 (97 male and 173 female) physically impaired clientele and their functions improved.

• Medication and counseling provided to 1,144 (621 male, 523 female) mental patients in Binduri, Pusiga, Garu and Tempane Districts through quarterly review sessions at designated points. As a result about 85% of epilepsy patients on medication experienced reduction in seizures from 5 times to 2 times per month; 15% no longer experience seizure atta

• Over 1000 homes were visited by FOCEP field staff and volunteers and health sensitization delivered to 6420 persons (2967 male and 3453 female) on family planning, exclusive breastfeeding, antenatal care, nutrition, personal and environmental hygiene and mental health issues. This has increased awareness among beneficiary persons on health issues and some of them are observing healthy lifestyles and practices.

• 245 PWDs (80male, 165 female), were registered as indigents under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare of the Garu District Assembly. This has resulted in increased access to healthcare for beneficiaries who are able to visit health facilities for services.

• A total of 522 PWDs (205male and 317 female) received sensitization and counselling on HIV/AIDS within the period as against 720 targeted. Out of those sensitized, 415 (138 male; 277 female) undertook voluntary testing to know their HIV /AIDS status, 5 of them were reactive and rescheduled for a confirmation test.This was done in collaboration with the Garu District Assembly and the Ghana Health Service.

• The programme in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service monitored 630 (262 male, 368 female) Children with Disabilities (CWDs) in mainstream schools and 109 CWDs in special schools for formal education through the inclusive education officer. This has resulted in 97% retention of these children in schools to pursue formal education.

• A total of 89 children with disabilities received financial support from the Garu District Assembly to the tune of GHS37, 104.00 as transport fares to enable them travel to special schools for formal education. In addition a total number of 40 children with disabilities were linked to the newly created Tempane District Assembly where they received an amount of GHS8, 076.00 as transport fares to travel to special schools. This brings to 127 the total number of children with disabilities who received financial support totaling GHS45, 180.00 from both Garu and Tempane District Assemblies in respect of transportation fares within the period.

• As planned for the period, a total of 272clients (120 males and 152 females) were trained in gardening skills to enable them engage in vegetables production. Out of this, a total of 45 clientele (27male and 18 female) were monitored to engage in survival yards (fenced gardens) programme. These clients acquired new gardening skills such as land preparation, aeration, crop spacing skills, thinning out, staking skills among others to engage in vegetables production like onion, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes pepper and garden eggs as well as fruit trees and tuber crops to boost their livelihoods and meet their nutritional requirements.

• 100 clientele (40 male, 60 female) were trained and supported to engage in dry season gardening in Kpalwega and Kuka in the Bawku Municipal area. This project was funded by the Adaptation Fund Project under the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI). Beneficiaries received inputs such as organic fertilizers, knapsack sprayers, water pumping machines, galvanized fencing wire and technical training to engage in vegetable production (onion, tomatoes and pepper). Beneficiaries of the intervention recorded increases in yields as well as corresponding increases in income levels within the period. Onion farmers have had their yields increased from an average of 120kg per acre to an average of 360 per acre following the training and adoption of improved gardening skills and techniques. This has resulted in increased incomes of beneficiaries from an average of GHS 500 per annum to about GHS1, 500 per annum. Tomato farmers recorded an increase in yield from an average of 70kg per acre to an average of about 150 kg per acre; the concomitant increase in income rose from an average of GHS 480 per annum to about GHS 768 per annum, an increase of about 60%. However, pepper farmers recorded poor yields as germination of the seed we provided was poor; our investigations revealed that the seed got expired from our source of supply accounting for the poor outcome. However, the impact of the losses incurred by clientele who engaged in pepper production was neutralized by the increases that they recorded from onion which they planted as a secondary crop. A review of this project was conducted by the donor partners in August, 2020 and an extension granted for phase 2 which is expected to cover additional 100 beneficiaries and will span from October, 2020 to May, 2020.

• 845 disabled farmers (392male and 453 female) were trained in new techniques of farming such as compost preparation and application, organic fertilizer application, mulching application techniques, tillage practices, intercropping techniques among others. Out of this, a total of 778 disabled farmers (325 male and 453 females) received improved varieties of seeds and seedlings and engaged in production. Types of seeds disbursed included sorghum, soya bean, bambaran bean, onion, pepper and tomatoes. Some of these have also been trained to produce livestock and are engaged in mixed farming.

• 429 women with disabilities (102 male and 327 female) were trained and supported to engage in agro-processing activities to improve livelihoods. Some of these are engaged in shea butter production, rice processing and petty trades. This initiative was sponsored by the Burgdorf congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Switzerland. Apart from the installation of shea butter processing machinery at the Project Centre which has come to lessen the drudgery associated with manual method of shea butter production, beneficiaries also received shea nuts to engage in production. Besides, in collaboration with the Garu and Tempane District Assemblies, some of these women received financial support to boost their activities. On the average, beneficiaries of these interventions are able to generate a monthly income of GHS 220.00, with which they are able to meet their basic needs and other social obligations like payment of school fees for their children and registration for health cards among others.

• 252 clientele (63male; 189 female) received vocational skills training for the period to enable them acquire self-employable skills so as to boost their sources of livelihoods. Skills areas of training include: dressmaking, weaving, hairdressing and batik, tie and dye production.

• 18 Community Savings Loans Associations (CSLAs) and 15 Self Help Groups (SHGs) were established and trained within the period. These groups made up of 825 members (337male and 488 female) were trained in group dynamics, savings skills and financial management to enable them engage in financial mobilization through their own local savings and lending to members. These groups have started savings and it is expected that they will be able to mobilize enough funds from their own savings to issue loans to group members to boost their businesses and ultimately reduce poverty.

• 12 Disabled People’s Organizations(DPOs) with a total membership of 2,789 (1121 male and 1668 females) and 13SHGs made up of  1591members (646 male and 945 female) were  trained  on  rights  of  PWDs ,business and leadership skills as well as   social  In the newly created Tempane District Assembly area, the programme in collaboration with the Tempane District Assembly and the Ghana Federation of the Disability Organizations(GFD) facilitated the election of executive members to lead disability groups and to ensure that they are represented in the Disability Fund Management Committee (DFMC) of the Assembly. The DFMC is responsible for the administration and allocation of the disabilty funds to PWDs to enable them better their lot.

• The newly created Tempane District Assembly within the FOCEP operational area, began to receive the allocation of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) from central government to cater for local development. This included the Disability Fund (DF) earmarked to better the lot of PWDs in the area. The DF is 3% of the DACF and is being managed by the Disability Fund Management Committee (DFMC) of the Assembly. The disbursement of such funds began in earnest within the period by the DFMC which works in collaboration with the FOCEP programme team. A total of 53 PWDs (21 male and 32 female) received farm inputs like seed and fertilizer to engage in maize production whilst 82 (47 male and 35 female) received ruminants (goats breed stock) for rearing and 102 (43 male and 59 females) received financial support to engage in petty trade. Similarly, the Garu District Assembly through the DFMC also disbursed the DF to 106 PWDs (42 male and 64 female) within the period. Some of these clients received equipment like sewing machines, weaving looms, hairdressing materials and grinding mills to enable them improve their lives through income generation whilst others were given transportation fares to enable them travel to special schools in pursuit of formal education. The disbursement of the DF within the period augmented our efforts tremendously as our trained clientele who got stranded with start-up capital became self-employed into productive ventures.

In addition, 93 PWDs benefitted from the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) fund to enable them meet their basic needs; a minimum of GHS64.00 and maximum of GHS108.00 was disbursed to each beneficiary. The programme continues to collaborate with the Social Welfare Departments of the District Assemblies to implement LEAP and the Disability Fund to benefit clientele.

• The programme participated in a three-day workshop organized by World Vision Ghana at the Tap Hotel in Bolgatanga from 19^th -21^st February, 2020. The Project Co-ordinator and the Accounts officer took part in training and received capacity building in the area of organizational strategy, structure and systems, resource management, monitoring and evaluation, financial and narrative reporting skills and World Vision’s partnering approach among others.

• The programme participated in a one week capacity building/orientation session at the Tomreik Hotel in Accra from 25^th – 29^th of November, 2020. It was to herald the implementation of a new project to be funded by Star Ghana Foundation for inclusion of PWDs in the 2020 general elections. The Project Coordinator and Accounts officer attended.

• MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS

• Increased number of persons with disabilities having access to healthcare through registration under NHIS. Over the period, clientele registered under the NHIS were able to have access to specialized services, related to the eye, ear, orthopaedic and mental health; and their conditions improved.

• Through effective negotiation, the programme contrived in having 2 persons with disabilities and 1 staff appointed  to serve in the Disability Fund Management Committee of the  newly created Tempane District Assembly. In addition, 18 programme volunteers and 2 programme officers were roped in and trained by the Social Welfare Department of the Assembly to augment the implementation of disability activities of the District Assembly. This has boosted the ability of the programme to synergize and tap resources from the District Assembly to support persons with disabilities in various communities.

• We achieved 98% retention for persons with disabilities enrolled for vocational skills training in various communities. This is ascribed to regular follow-ups and monitoring conducted within period by programme personnel and community volunteers.

• The renewal of partnership with the UNDP, MESTI and the Adaptation Fund project to enable the programme implement phase 2 of the dry season gardening project which began in 2018 is a landmark achievement. The total budget for the phase 2 is estimated at GHS77, 000 and it is expected to be devoted for 100 farmers in Kuka- Natinga and Kpalwega communities.

• The programme developed a new proposal to Star Ghana Foundation and it was approved. This is to enable the programme implement a new project spanning from December, 2020 to February 2021 for the inclusion of PWDs in the national elections of Ghana. This came as landmark achievement as it will increased the financial capacity of the programme to carry out more activities in communities within the 6 operational Districts.

• MAJOR CHALLENGES

• The non-mechanization of some key staff of the programme continues to pose a challenge to sustainability in the face of limited donor support. So far, 3 programme staff have been mechanized by the PHS-N but the rest including the project Coordinator have not been mechanized. This is not motivating enough for the un-mechanized staff to continue to give off their best.

• High maintenance cost of motorbikes and project vehicle due to depreciation after several years of use. The project vehicle and some of the motorbikes should have been replaced by now but due to inadequate funds, they are still in use. This is posing a challenge due to frequent breakdowns and high maintenance cost.

• Inadequate drugs in some health facilities affected some of our clientele as they were not attended to fully. We had instances where some clientele who are card bearing members of the NHIS were asked to buy some drugs from private chemical sellers because such drugs were not available in health facilities visited. Some of the clients could not afford and had to come seeking help from the FOCEP programme office; this was a challenge in the face of limited funds to attend to such clients.

• Inadequate funds to finance certain key activities like multidisciplinary screenings due to the phasing out of CBM.This has lessened our role in early detection, management and prevention of disability in the area.

• PLANS/PROJECTIONS FOR NEXT REPORTING PERIOD( JANUARY –DECEMBER,2020)

• Sensitize 6150 persons on health promotion and disability prevention by December, 2020.
• Educate over 3000 persons on Sexual and reproductive health issues in communities by the close of the year
• Sensitize 360 persons with disabilities and their families about HIV/AIDS and encourage them to go for counseling and testing.
• Facilitate access to inclusive education for 800 children with disabilities to promote literacy
• Train and support over 500 PWDs to engage in agricultural production to improve food security and nutrition.
• Facilitate access to inclusive vocational skills training for 100 youth with disabilities to boost livelihoods
• Expand and sustain production of shea butter project as a means of boosting income generation for the programme clientele.
• Facilitate access to financial services to over 1000 persons with disabilities and their families through Self-help groups, Community savings and Loans Associations and credit institutions.
• Train over 1500 PWDs on inclusive elections to ensure their inclusion in the 2020 general elections.

8.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We appreciate the Area Board of the Presbyterian Health Service –North (PHS-N) for the policy direction which continues to shape the FOCEP work. We appreciate the Upper Presbytery Development Office for the guidance and advise which enabled us to work effectively within the period. We equally appreciate all our partners both governmental and Non-governmental especially the Presbyterian World Service and Development (PWS&D), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Burgdorf congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Switzerland and the Garu and Tempane District Assemblies for their financial and logistical support for effective implementation of the programme.