(Learn about the town of Konkonuru)

The people of Konkonuru and the surrounding villages have identified a number of projects and suggested strategies for implementation:

a) Early Childhood
The basic and middle school presently uses the curriculum of the Ministry. However, the students had indicated the wish to include vocational activities including arts and crafts and African history. This would call for equipment, securing of facilities for computers and salaries for additional staff. Any intervention here would be in line with the GOG/UNICEF Child-School-Community focus.

b) Nutrition
Early childhood education has not to date been identified as a priority area for education by the government of Ghana. In this particular educational region, education for most of the children between 3-6 years of age remains the responsibility of the family. In many instances, instead of sending the child to school, these children tend to remain near the home, being engaged in rudimentary domestic chores, such as sweeping, helping with any appropriate agricultural activity or going to the nearby shop. As most observers point out, early stimulation at this age is a major factor in the growth of cognitive, social and motor skills.

The population of K1-K3 (3-6 yrs) serves 285 children from Kokonuru and two neighbouring villages with six teachers The siting of the early learning center in this region reflects the fact that in the national educational agenda, there is no special emphasis on providing this specialist type of learning environment for this age group. As a consequence, it is expected that they will be taught in the usual manner in the public primary school system.

In examining the situation of these children, it becomes obvious that school attendance was sporadic due to uneven economic activity of care-givers, but even more importantly, families were still using age-old methods of food preparation and sticking to only those with which they were very familiar. Consequently, their diet was predominantly maize, a gravy of tomatoes and onions with very occasional cabbage and plantains. Bread was somewhat of a luxury and other protein sources were only seen on special occasions.

Expansion of the menu to include different stews (meat, dried fish and greens), as well as the use of beans and yams is seen as beneficial. As there is a baker in the village use of her products would be possible with some subsidization of cost.

c) The Elderly
There is no particular provision for the elderly in the community. Often they still tend the fields, the livestock and the grandchildren. Their daily nutrition is inadequate and few physical changes are made to living quarters so as to accommodate the aches pains and illnesses associated with aging. RMF would like to do some research in this area, including the entire Aburi region and lend our support based on findings. As documents record, “Konkonuru is also renowned for its traditional doctors, whose skills are passed down from father to son, not in the matrilineal line of succession, 1997:14” . Innovative new approaches are envisioned

d) Medical Centre
Both centres are located within the environs of the town. Both centres now need equipment and personnel to function

e) Monitoring and evaluation
There will need to be continuous monitoring and evaluation of our development goals. On-going monitoring must be built into the design of projects including qualitative assessments, keeping in mind that sustainability of projects is related to the ability to create an environment that not only achieves its goals, but in addition, achieves its goals in a manner which Is understood and accepted by the families and communities of the region.

(Learn about the town of Konkonuru)