ties in Ghana. Like the Heifer International program that
took a chance on Alexander Appiah and farmers like him,
a U.S.-based organization, World Vision, is helping to ensure that the assistance offered is useful to the people in
the region—in this case, participants in a mother and child
health and nutrition program in western Ghana.
As in Nkwableng, resources are tight in Ghana’s Saltpong-Biriwa district. Many children are malnourished,
and many adults have little formal education. Nonetheless, things are happening. At the health center shared by
the communities, for example, about 60 mothers of babies
and toddlers, plus some fathers and grandparents, attend a
popular mother-to-mother support group.
For these communities, development assistance comes in
the form of songs specially designed to convey important
nutrition messages, training for community health volunteers, and support in analyzing local health information.
World Vision worked with Ghana’s Ministry of Health
to develop an education program to help mothers improve
their diets, seek prenatal care, and raise healthier children.
It works because it uses songs, a familiar and culturallyaccepted teaching method, and because the women who
participate quickly become enthusiastic and accurate communicators. Once people have sung a song a few times, they
can easily pass its content along to others.
The women who attend the support group are involved
parents who want to do what’s right for their children but
don’t always have the information and resources they need
to do so. The meetings offer opportunities to exchange experiences with others and learn more about health and nutrition. One of the most important songs—aimed at both
new mothers and new fathers—is referred to simply as “the
breastfeeding song.” The specially-developed “communication messages”—aka the verses of the song—are: breastfeed
exclusively (no other food or drink) for six months; begin
breastfeeding within 30 minutes of giving birth; breastfeed
because it provides all the nutrition a baby needs; and give
babies the best start in life by breastfeeding.
World Vision has trained respected older women, many
of whom have served as midwives, as community health
volunteers. Along with fathers and others who have also
volunteered, they encourage good prenatal care and edu-
A Heifer International farmers’ program gave him the
boost he needed. For Appiah, development assistance came
in the form of five beehives, 20 laying hens, and agricultural
training. He did the rest himself. Americans working with
Heifer speak of the impressive work ethic of the farmers in
the program. Four years after getting his start, Appiah earns
nearly $200 a month from his poultry alone—enough to
build a concrete house with an iron roof and send his two
daughters to a good school. He is now building a similar
house for his parents, and his plans for the future include
enabling his children to attend college and opening his own
agricultural general store.
Moreover, Appiah has become a teacher and role model.
As the elected Vice Secretary of his farmers’ group, he’s in
charge of mobilization—spreading the word about the activities and services the group offers. He has shared what he
learned in the Heifer training program with other farmers
in the area. Appiah is a local man who started with very
little himself—as a Heifer staff member pointed out, this
gives him an advantage as a teacher. He is effective because
he understands what people need to know and uses familiar
language to communicate the information to them.
Training for health care volunteers—and songs
Scott Bleggi
Another example of development assistance that includes
education and training benefits two neighboring communi-
Women with recent training in family nutrition and child health
issues often make excellent educators, finding accurate, compelling ways to share their knowledge and experiences.
89
percent:
3 billion:
the number
of people living on
less than $2.50 a day.
the share of the world
population who now
have access to safe
drinking water.
2