Real progressWith the support of Plan, children and adults inGhana are working together to develop theircommunities and claim their right to a betterfuture. And real progress is being made. Lastyear, our work included:

• Helping to run educational campaigns onHIV/AIDS for 30 communities, so theycan protect their children from the virusand care for those affected by it

• Raising the standard of teaching in mathematics and English by training over 500 primary school teachers in new methodscentred on the needs of children

• Protecting children from the dangers to their health of poor sanitation byworking with families to build or improve nearly 700 latrines

• Working to keep children safe from abuse and exploitation by supporting training for nearly 2,000 community members and volunteerson child protection.

Plan’s greatest successes come from a joint effortcombining the hard work and determination ofcommunities, children, volunteers, staff, and partnerorganisations. The ongoing support of our sponsors isa vital ingredient, too. It’s their generosity andcommitment that allows us to continue to help childrenin 49 of the poorest countries in the world.

So on behalf of the children and communities we work with, thank you to all our sponsors!

Plan UK Registered Charity No: 276035

GHA

We’re encouraging teachers to mould the educationsystem more closely to the needs of children

p

Challenge and change in GhanaGhana celebrated 50 years of independence in 2007, and the government marked theoccasion with initiatives to develop hospitals and nursery schools, among others.

Yet in a country where 45% of people live on less than 50 pence a day, much remainsto be done. Plan is committed to help give children in the poorest communities cleanwater, a decent education, better health services and training in skills for the future.

In 2007 we were able to bring children together for the first time with decision-makerslike government ministers to discuss the issues that matter to them. Promotingchildren’s rights and their role in developing their communities is a fundamental part ofour work, and a priceless legacy for future generations.

But plenty of challenges remain. In this Country Progress Report, welook at the work Plan is doing in oneof the poorest areas of Ghana to helpwomen boost their incomes, and soimprove their children’s lives.

Ghana country factsPopulation: 22 million

Capital: Accra

UN Human Development Indexranking: 136th (of 177 countries)

Rural people without adequatesanitation: 82%

Adults who cannot read and write: 42%

Primary-age children not in school: 35%

(Sources: the UN, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office) Country ProgressReport 2007

Ghana

Admagic No:Bright No:

Client name:File name:

Date:Size:

Studio proof:

0407100647PLAN0407_Ghana04.12.07210x443.5mm FOLD TO A53 Client proof: 2

Any enquiries please contact:Nick Burton. e: nick@bright-uk.comm: 07884 367567. d: 020 7620 8150

Size (Prod) Colours(Prod) Art (A/D) Copy (C/W) Content (Acc.)

146.5mm FLAP 148.5mm BACK 148.5mm FRONT

Plan is helping to give more and more Ghanaian children a decentstart in life

p

Real progressWith the support of Plan, children and adults inGhana are working together to develop theircommunities and claim their right to a betterfuture. And real progress is being made. Lastyear, our work included:

• Helping to run educational campaigns onHIV/AIDS for 30 communities, so theycan protect their children from the virusand care for those affected by it

• Raising the standard of teaching in mathematics and English by training over 500 primary school teachers in new methodscentred on the needs of children

• Protecting children from the dangers to their health of poor sanitation byworking with families to build or improve nearly 700 latrines

• Working to keep children safe from abuse and exploitation by supporting training for nearly 2,000 community members and volunteerson child protection.

Plan’s greatest successes come from a joint effortcombining the hard work and determination ofcommunities, children, volunteers, staff, and partnerorganisations. The ongoing support of our sponsors isa vital ingredient, too. It’s their generosity andcommitment that allows us to continue to help childrenin 49 of the poorest countries in the world.

So on behalf of the children and communities we work with, thank you to all our sponsors!

Plan UK Registered Charity No: 276035

GHA

We’re encouraging teachers to mould the educationsystem more closely to the needs of children

p

Challenge and change in GhanaGhana celebrated 50 years of independence in 2007, and the government marked theoccasion with initiatives to develop hospitals and nursery schools, among others.

Yet in a country where 45% of people live on less than 50 pence a day, much remainsto be done. Plan is committed to help give children in the poorest communities cleanwater, a decent education, better health services and training in skills for the future.

In 2007 we were able to bring children together for the first time with decision-makerslike government ministers to discuss the issues that matter to them. Promotingchildren’s rights and their role in developing their communities is a fundamental part ofour work, and a priceless legacy for future generations.

But plenty of challenges remain. In this Country Progress Report, welook at the work Plan is doing in oneof the poorest areas of Ghana to helpwomen boost their incomes, and soimprove their children’s lives.

Ghana country factsPopulation: 22 million

Capital: Accra

UN Human Development Indexranking: 136th (of 177 countries)

Rural people without adequatesanitation: 82%

Adults who cannot read and write: 42%

Primary-age children not in school: 35%

(Sources: the UN, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office) Country ProgressReport 2007

Ghana

Admagic No:Bright No:

Client name:File name:

Date:Size:

Studio proof:

0407100647PLAN0407_Ghana04.12.07210x443.5mm FOLD TO A53 Client proof: 2

Any enquiries please contact:Nick Burton. e: nick@bright-uk.comm: 07884 367567. d: 020 7620 8150

Size (Prod) Colours(Prod) Art (A/D) Copy (C/W) Content (Acc.)

146.5mm FLAP 148.5mm BACK 148.5mm FRONT

Plan is helping to give more and more Ghanaian children a decentstart in life

p

These associations work by bringingtogether groups of people – usuallywomen – to make a regularcontribution to a shared fund. Thesedeposits are typically too small toappeal to a bank, but gradually the fundgrows, attracts interest and can be usedto offer loans to group members to helpthem meet household expenses or setup small businesses, like running a stallat the market for instance.

A group member from Nimorodescribes how she has benefited fromthe fund: “I used part of my savings topurchase clothes, a washing basin andsoap to help my pregnant daughter-in-law, which I would not have been ableto do in the past.”

You might wonder how women living insuch poverty could afford to save, butPlan has found that even the poorestwomen can put aside small amounts.Village Savings and Loans Associationsallow women to pool resources, so thateveryone benefits. As the women’sbusinesses make profit, they are able torepay their loan with a nominal amountof interest, enabling the fund to growand be drawn on by other savers.

In Sissala, the women agreed to save inregular, fixed cycles. At the end of eachcycle, each association member receives

a proportion of the fund, plus interest,according to how much she has saved.

Each association is owned by localwomen, who manage them responsiblyto make the funds work hard for them.All this would not be possible withoutsome knowledge of business andfinance, of course, so Plan organisedand supported training for the womenin skills like record keeping, businessdevelopment and time management.

Strength in numbersThe women have wasted no time inusing their skills to raise their incomes. In the border community of Fielmua,many more have started tradingactivities, with some trading grains withtheir neighbours in Burkina Faso. Inanother village, women are buying andstoring grain to sell on later in the seasonwhen supplies are low. Others arerearing animals to sell, an activity whichused to be the preserve of the men.

No longer struggling to make endsmeet, the women are growing inconfidence. Now they can contributetowards the household finances, womenare having a greater say in whathappens to their children. Take Ashifrom Fielmua:

148.5mm INSIDE 148.5mm INSIDE 146.5mm INSIDE

But delicious though pito may be, it’spossible to have too much of a goodthing. Until three years ago, themarkets were awash with pito. Why?Well, many local women didn’t have themeans or the knowledge to makeanything else that was saleable.

Families here were so poor that thewomen were determined to contributeto their families’ income however theycould, but it seemed as if every avenuebesides pito-brewing was blocked.Without savings, they had no resourcesto train in new skills, or start newbusinesses. Nor did they have the capitalto qualify for a loan from the bank.

Families here were so poor thatthe women were determined tocontribute to their families’income however they could.

There were practical problems, too.Even if a bank was prepared to offerfinancial advice or services, mostwomen didn’t have the transport to

travel the long distance to the districtcapital where the banks are based.

Pooling resourcesThe solution was to bring the bank tothe villages, giving local people thechance to deposit savings and take outloans. So, in 2005, Plan started workingwith 15 communities across northernGhana to pilot finance schemes known asVillage Savings and Loans Associations.

The women have wasted notime in using their skills toraise their incomes.

“I had a loan from the group tobuy things in bulk to retail andthat gave me more profit toexpand my trading activities,”she says. Like many women, shehas ploughed that profit backinto her family, helping to sendher children to school. “This hashelped me buy books for my childrenand supported my husband in payingour children’s fees,” she explains.

There are real signs that the women’sdetermination to give their children abetter future is paying off. Across thedistrict, health professionals have foundthat malnutrition is graduallydecreasing, and anaemia cases are low.

But the women’s ambition for theirchildren doesn’t end here. In Fielmua,the project has helped them realise just how much their lack of educationhad held them back. Now they aredetermined their daughters will notfollow suit and have set up a fund to support girls’ education in their

community.

It’s just one example of how,with the right impetus, womenand their communities inGhana’s poorest regions cansecure the future for theirchildren.

Some names have been changed for privacyand child protection reasons.

A Village Savings and Loans Association in actionp

Saving for success It’s market day in Sissala, Northern Ghana, and if you want to sample pito,the local beer, it’s the place to be. Walk through any village and you’ll findwomen selling it.

Investment in small-scale farming is one use the women put their money to

p

A piggery was another woman’s investmentp

These associations work by bringingtogether groups of people – usuallywomen – to make a regularcontribution to a shared fund. Thesedeposits are typically too small toappeal to a bank, but gradually the fundgrows, attracts interest and can be usedto offer loans to group members to helpthem meet household expenses or setup small businesses, like running a stallat the market for instance.

A group member from Nimorodescribes how she has benefited fromthe fund: “I used part of my savings topurchase clothes, a washing basin andsoap to help my pregnant daughter-in-law, which I would not have been ableto do in the past.”

You might wonder how women living insuch poverty could afford to save, butPlan has found that even the poorestwomen can put aside small amounts.Village Savings and Loans Associationsallow women to pool resources, so thateveryone benefits. As the women’sbusinesses make profit, they are able torepay their loan with a nominal amountof interest, enabling the fund to growand be drawn on by other savers.

In Sissala, the women agreed to save inregular, fixed cycles. At the end of eachcycle, each association member receives

a proportion of the fund, plus interest,according to how much she has saved.

Each association is owned by localwomen, who manage them responsiblyto make the funds work hard for them.All this would not be possible withoutsome knowledge of business andfinance, of course, so Plan organisedand supported training for the womenin skills like record keeping, businessdevelopment and time management.

Strength in numbersThe women have wasted no time inusing their skills to raise their incomes. In the border community of Fielmua,many more have started tradingactivities, with some trading grains withtheir neighbours in Burkina Faso. Inanother village, women are buying andstoring grain to sell on later in the seasonwhen supplies are low. Others arerearing animals to sell, an activity whichused to be the preserve of the men.

No longer struggling to make endsmeet, the women are growing inconfidence. Now they can contributetowards the household finances, womenare having a greater say in whathappens to their children. Take Ashifrom Fielmua:

148.5mm INSIDE 148.5mm INSIDE 146.5mm INSIDE

But delicious though pito may be, it’spossible to have too much of a goodthing. Until three years ago, themarkets were awash with pito. Why?Well, many local women didn’t have themeans or the knowledge to makeanything else that was saleable.

Families here were so poor that thewomen were determined to contributeto their families’ income however theycould, but it seemed as if every avenuebesides pito-brewing was blocked.Without savings, they had no resourcesto train in new skills, or start newbusinesses. Nor did they have the capitalto qualify for a loan from the bank.

Families here were so poor thatthe women were determined tocontribute to their families’income however they could.

There were practical problems, too.Even if a bank was prepared to offerfinancial advice or services, mostwomen didn’t have the transport to

travel the long distance to the districtcapital where the banks are based.

Pooling resourcesThe solution was to bring the bank tothe villages, giving local people thechance to deposit savings and take outloans. So, in 2005, Plan started workingwith 15 communities across northernGhana to pilot finance schemes known asVillage Savings and Loans Associations.

The women have wasted notime in using their skills toraise their incomes.

“I had a loan from the group tobuy things in bulk to retail andthat gave me more profit toexpand my trading activities,”she says. Like many women, shehas ploughed that profit backinto her family, helping to sendher children to school. “This hashelped me buy books for my childrenand supported my husband in payingour children’s fees,” she explains.

There are real signs that the women’sdetermination to give their children abetter future is paying off. Across thedistrict, health professionals have foundthat malnutrition is graduallydecreasing, and anaemia cases are low.

But the women’s ambition for theirchildren doesn’t end here. In Fielmua,the project has helped them realise just how much their lack of educationhad held them back. Now they aredetermined their daughters will notfollow suit and have set up a fund to support girls’ education in their

community.

It’s just one example of how,with the right impetus, womenand their communities inGhana’s poorest regions cansecure the future for theirchildren.

Some names have been changed for privacyand child protection reasons.

A Village Savings and Loans Association in actionp

Saving for success It’s market day in Sissala, Northern Ghana, and if you want to sample pito,the local beer, it’s the place to be. Walk through any village and you’ll findwomen selling it.

Investment in small-scale farming is one use the women put their money to

p

A piggery was another woman’s investmentp

These associations work by bringingtogether groups of people – usuallywomen – to make a regularcontribution to a shared fund. Thesedeposits are typically too small toappeal to a bank, but gradually the fundgrows, attracts interest and can be usedto offer loans to group members to helpthem meet household expenses or setup small businesses, like running a stallat the market for instance.

A group member from Nimorodescribes how she has benefited fromthe fund: “I used part of my savings topurchase clothes, a washing basin andsoap to help my pregnant daughter-in-law, which I would not have been ableto do in the past.”

You might wonder how women living insuch poverty could afford to save, butPlan has found that even the poorestwomen can put aside small amounts.Village Savings and Loans Associationsallow women to pool resources, so thateveryone benefits. As the women’sbusinesses make profit, they are able torepay their loan with a nominal amountof interest, enabling the fund to growand be drawn on by other savers.

In Sissala, the women agreed to save inregular, fixed cycles. At the end of eachcycle, each association member receives

a proportion of the fund, plus interest,according to how much she has saved.

Each association is owned by localwomen, who manage them responsiblyto make the funds work hard for them.All this would not be possible withoutsome knowledge of business andfinance, of course, so Plan organisedand supported training for the womenin skills like record keeping, businessdevelopment and time management.

Strength in numbersThe women have wasted no time inusing their skills to raise their incomes. In the border community of Fielmua,many more have started tradingactivities, with some trading grains withtheir neighbours in Burkina Faso. Inanother village, women are buying andstoring grain to sell on later in the seasonwhen supplies are low. Others arerearing animals to sell, an activity whichused to be the preserve of the men.

No longer struggling to make endsmeet, the women are growing inconfidence. Now they can contributetowards the household finances, womenare having a greater say in whathappens to their children. Take Ashifrom Fielmua:

148.5mm INSIDE 148.5mm INSIDE 146.5mm INSIDE

But delicious though pito may be, it’spossible to have too much of a goodthing. Until three years ago, themarkets were awash with pito. Why?Well, many local women didn’t have themeans or the knowledge to makeanything else that was saleable.

Families here were so poor that thewomen were determined to contributeto their families’ income however theycould, but it seemed as if every avenuebesides pito-brewing was blocked.Without savings, they had no resourcesto train in new skills, or start newbusinesses. Nor did they have the capitalto qualify for a loan from the bank.

Families here were so poor thatthe women were determined tocontribute to their families’income however they could.

There were practical problems, too.Even if a bank was prepared to offerfinancial advice or services, mostwomen didn’t have the transport to

travel the long distance to the districtcapital where the banks are based.

Pooling resourcesThe solution was to bring the bank tothe villages, giving local people thechance to deposit savings and take outloans. So, in 2005, Plan started workingwith 15 communities across northernGhana to pilot finance schemes known asVillage Savings and Loans Associations.

The women have wasted notime in using their skills toraise their incomes.

“I had a loan from the group tobuy things in bulk to retail andthat gave me more profit toexpand my trading activities,”she says. Like many women, shehas ploughed that profit backinto her family, helping to sendher children to school. “This hashelped me buy books for my childrenand supported my husband in payingour children’s fees,” she explains.

There are real signs that the women’sdetermination to give their children abetter future is paying off. Across thedistrict, health professionals have foundthat malnutrition is graduallydecreasing, and anaemia cases are low.

But the women’s ambition for theirchildren doesn’t end here. In Fielmua,the project has helped them realise just how much their lack of educationhad held them back. Now they aredetermined their daughters will notfollow suit and have set up a fund to support girls’ education in their

community.

It’s just one example of how,with the right impetus, womenand their communities inGhana’s poorest regions cansecure the future for theirchildren.

Some names have been changed for privacyand child protection reasons.

A Village Savings and Loans Association in actionp

Saving for success It’s market day in Sissala, Northern Ghana, and if you want to sample pito,the local beer, it’s the place to be. Walk through any village and you’ll findwomen selling it.

Investment in small-scale farming is one use the women put their money to

p

A piggery was another woman’s investmentp

Real progressWith the support of Plan, children and adults inGhana are working together to develop theircommunities and claim their right to a betterfuture. And real progress is being made. Lastyear, our work included:

• Helping to run educational campaigns onHIV/AIDS for 30 communities, so theycan protect their children from the virusand care for those affected by it

• Raising the standard of teaching in mathematics and English by training over 500 primary school teachers in new methodscentred on the needs of children

• Protecting children from the dangers to their health of poor sanitation byworking with families to build or improve nearly 700 latrines

• Working to keep children safe from abuse and exploitation by supporting training for nearly 2,000 community members and volunteerson child protection.

Plan’s greatest successes come from a joint effortcombining the hard work and determination ofcommunities, children, volunteers, staff, and partnerorganisations. The ongoing support of our sponsors isa vital ingredient, too. It’s their generosity andcommitment that allows us to continue to help childrenin 49 of the poorest countries in the world.

So on behalf of the children and communities we work with, thank you to all our sponsors!

Plan UK Registered Charity No: 276035

GHA

We’re encouraging teachers to mould the educationsystem more closely to the needs of children

p

Challenge and change in GhanaGhana celebrated 50 years of independence in 2007, and the government marked theoccasion with initiatives to develop hospitals and nursery schools, among others.

Yet in a country where 45% of people live on less than 50 pence a day, much remainsto be done. Plan is committed to help give children in the poorest communities cleanwater, a decent education, better health services and training in skills for the future.

In 2007 we were able to bring children together for the first time with decision-makerslike government ministers to discuss the issues that matter to them. Promotingchildren’s rights and their role in developing their communities is a fundamental part ofour work, and a priceless legacy for future generations.

But plenty of challenges remain. In this Country Progress Report, welook at the work Plan is doing in oneof the poorest areas of Ghana to helpwomen boost their incomes, and soimprove their children’s lives.

Ghana country factsPopulation: 22 million

Capital: Accra

UN Human Development Indexranking: 136th (of 177 countries)

Rural people without adequatesanitation: 82%

Adults who cannot read and write: 42%

Primary-age children not in school: 35%

(Sources: the UN, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office) Country ProgressReport 2007

Ghana

Admagic No:Bright No:

Client name:File name:

Date:Size:

Studio proof:

0407100647PLAN0407_Ghana04.12.07210x443.5mm FOLD TO A53 Client proof: 2

Any enquiries please contact:Nick Burton. e: nick@bright-uk.comm: 07884 367567. d: 020 7620 8150

Size (Prod) Colours(Prod) Art (A/D) Copy (C/W) Content (Acc.)

146.5mm FLAP 148.5mm BACK 148.5mm FRONT

Plan is helping to give more and more Ghanaian children a decentstart in life

p