Heading to Ghana
Published by Trevor Whitney on Saturday, June 2, 2007 at 10:55 AM.
Hello everyone,
Let me start with a brief introduction. I've just recently graduated from UBC with a degree in Civil Engineering. While at UBC I became very actively involved with the UBC Chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB). The more involved I got, the more passionate I became about development, and the more I wanted to make a difference for those living in extreme poverty. Soon I will be leaving for Ghana where I will be working with EWB for about a year.
The country of Ghana is located in West Africa. Once known as the Gold Coast for its large gold exports, it has since experienced 25 years of economic decline brought on by food shortages and political strife. Today, 40% of its citizens now find themselves below the poverty line living off less than a dollar a day. Since 1993, political reform has brought stability to the region making the country an ideal place for long-term development projects.
The majority of the poor in Ghana are small-scale subsistence farmers. As such, I will be working with the Ghanaian Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA). Their mandate is to help the 750,000 farmers in the Northern Region of Ghana become more sustainable; ultimately strengthening the regional food security and livelihoods. MoFA has a large staff of Extension Agents who work directly with farmers to help develop new skills, diversify their production activities, access markets for their produce, and learn about new techniques and technologies. Although my exact role within MoFA has not yet been determined, past volunteers have worked to increase inter-communication by developing a new monitoring and evaluation framework, and strengthen the skills of Extension Agents by conducting training sessions and coaching.
I look forward to the challenges and rewards that lie ahead, and I hope to share as much as I can with you along the journey. The greatest support you can give is your best wishes and hello every now and then. You may be surprised to know that there are a number of internet cafes in most major cities, and I will try my best to stay in touch with all of you via e-mail (whitney.trevor@gmail.com).
Cheers,
-Trevor
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Let me start with a brief introduction. I've just recently graduated from UBC with a degree in Civil Engineering. While at UBC I became very actively involved with the UBC Chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB). The more involved I got, the more passionate I became about development, and the more I wanted to make a difference for those living in extreme poverty. Soon I will be leaving for Ghana where I will be working with EWB for about a year.
The country of Ghana is located in West Africa. Once known as the Gold Coast for its large gold exports, it has since experienced 25 years of economic decline brought on by food shortages and political strife. Today, 40% of its citizens now find themselves below the poverty line living off less than a dollar a day. Since 1993, political reform has brought stability to the region making the country an ideal place for long-term development projects.
The majority of the poor in Ghana are small-scale subsistence farmers. As such, I will be working with the Ghanaian Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA). Their mandate is to help the 750,000 farmers in the Northern Region of Ghana become more sustainable; ultimately strengthening the regional food security and livelihoods. MoFA has a large staff of Extension Agents who work directly with farmers to help develop new skills, diversify their production activities, access markets for their produce, and learn about new techniques and technologies. Although my exact role within MoFA has not yet been determined, past volunteers have worked to increase inter-communication by developing a new monitoring and evaluation framework, and strengthen the skills of Extension Agents by conducting training sessions and coaching.
I look forward to the challenges and rewards that lie ahead, and I hope to share as much as I can with you along the journey. The greatest support you can give is your best wishes and hello every now and then. You may be surprised to know that there are a number of internet cafes in most major cities, and I will try my best to stay in touch with all of you via e-mail (whitney.trevor@gmail.com).
Cheers,
-Trevor
