A weekly granting session with Initiative Development - Ghana (IDG) in Kaneshie branch.

An article to give you more details about our actions on the field

Stephen Dugbazah, IDG General Manager, checking the presence of the two group leaders.

2 "Onipa Nua" groups ("mutual solidarity" in Twi) were given an appointment in the meeting room of Kaneshie market for their loans granting.

First, the Training Officer, Eva Ankrah, opened the meeting with a speech on the loan terms and the conduct of the meeting, the beneficiaries have already received extensive training on how to manage a loan and about the Onipa Nua methodology, it is just a reminder.

Then the General Manager of IDG, Stephen Dugbazah, told them that respecting their commitment is essential to continue to evolve with IDG. Then, Agnes Osei, MIS assistant, announced the identity verification and explained the contract and repayment schedule.

Animation techniques help keep the attention of the beneficiaries during these meetings. For example, one trainer says “Hello?” and all beneficiaries must reply to continue the meeting. The speaker can make it two successive times to be sure to interrupt the private discussions of partners.

Agnes Osei checking partners ID cards with loan form.

After the presentations and reminders of procedures, credit applications already filled with an ID picture and approved by the operation department are distributed to group members while Agnes checked with the ID card that it is indeed the right person. Partners are then asked to join the desk so that the loan officer can take their thumbprints as well as the group leader’s (1 Onipa Nua partner is appointed by other members as a group leader) on this same form and to give them the amount granted.

Credit officer, Charles Ampaw, taking the thumbprint of the group leader and the partner.

Money is recounted by the credit officer before being given to the partner who checks once again, that the amount is the same as the one on the form. For some who are unsure about counting correctly, it’s one of the staff members who do the check, teaching them along the way.

Agnes checking the amount granted under the eye of the General Manager.

When the amount is received, partners go back to their income generating activities. Once a week, they will have to assist to the group meeting located near their residential or business area to repay the credit. They can also deposit savings with ID-G (remunerated at 5% p.a.) and they all receive training on various topics such as registration to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) or the importance of saving.

S.A.

Project "Spriulina, Microfinance & Health”: Time to take stock and reward...

• Bicycles for the best Nakoglbzanga and Yã-baarυ-nir

This month of December marks the 2nd anniversary of the Spirulina & Microfinance Project in Koudougou and the end of its first semester in Diébougou. Entrepreneurs of the World, with the support of its financial partners, has undertaken to encourage the best participants of the project and also to promote a friendly competition between them. It was on December 16^th in Dano and Koper, and it will be on December 24^th, 2010 in Poa Ralo, Koudougou and Zoula (intervention zone of Asiena, MFI partner of the project).

For the sellers, the gold palm goes to NIKIEMA Jeremy who steals the show to Justine OUEDRAOGO (both from Poaike him) whose activity is temporarily interrupted for reasons beyond her control with 18.375 Kg against 14 Kg. Two other first class seelers were rewarded in Koudougou. In Dano, DABIRE Nathalie is the leader with 5.050 kg sold in five months. With her, three other women vendors received awards including one from Dano and two from Koper (Lopal & Kpaï). Smiles and emotion were naturally present for these prize receipients when they received their green "Spirulina = Health”bicycle.

• Food and Roumdé improved cook stoves for Health Parents & Yã-baarυ-sãa/Yã-baarυ-mãa

Health Parents, who have the mission of promoting on a volunteer basis the consumption of Spirulina within their Mutual Solidarity Group, have not been forgotten! Food (bags of local Bagre rice) and local improved cookstoves called "Roumdé" (products vulgarized with the support of the project FAFASO (Foyers Améliorés au FASO) by the GIZ (German Cooperation) have been given to these actors, who operate behind the scene, to stimulate them in the support they give to their MUSO. Beyond the Health Parents being rewarded, it is the effort of the entire MUSO to eat this nutritive and beneficial alga that has been recognized. One more time, many smiles during this ceremony, timely held as a nice introduction to Christmas and New Year festivities.

By these expressions of support, Entrepreneurs du Monde wants to empower the best actors of the Spirulina Project to go further and boost concerns for healthy lifestyles in their communities. Thank you to everyone who helped us to help these tireless health promoters! We wish that spirulina will spread always further to alleviate malnutrition and disease!

Note: In the two years of the projection of these two pilot areas, approximately 275 Kg of spirulina were sold to people!

Reported by W. Modest SOUBEAGA
EdM-BF Program Manager

Spirulina is gaining ground in Dano and Koper: the 2nd promotion of distributors is born!

And it makes two! The second promotion of Health Parents (Yãabarυ-saa / Yãabarυ Maa-menaing Health Papa and Health Mama in the local language “Dagara”) and sellers of spirulina (Yãabarυ-ne to mean "health person") is formed and operational since November 10^th 2010.

The network of twenty spirulina distributors of Dano and Koper, Asiena’s areas of intervention, our MFI partner, is thus reinforced by twenty six new actors. They, as their predecessors of the first class formed in June 2010, followed four training modules that are "Spirulina and Nutrition", "Role and responsibilities within the project", "Communication skills”, "Marketing/sales skills for spirulina" provided by the trainer of Entrepreneurs of the World, before being integrated into the project network.

Their mission is to contribute to improve the health of the communities in which they live through direct spirulina sales to people and discounted sales to their Mutual Solidarity (Muso) Group on social grounds.

As a follow-up as well, the Health Parents and Spirulina Sellers of the first promotion have benefited of a refresher session on 11^th and 12^th November. During this meeting, all forty six members of the network were also equipped with transparent plastic jars to store their stock (against mice attacks!) and to transport spirulina for sales. With this new "battalion", spirulina is actually gaining ground in Dano and Koper! Good luck to this new promotion of the project "Spirulina Microfinance and Health” for a world without hunger!

Reported by W. Modest SOUBEAGA

(EdM Program Manager-BF)