FEEDING THE HUNGRY CHILD.

Too many of our children go hungry during the day and during the night.

In Ghana 28% of children are stunted, which means such children do not get enough food to eat over a period of time. Their height does not match their ages.

9% of Ghana’s children are wasted and that means these children have recently failed to receive adequate food. It may be the result of recent illness or seasonal variations of food. Of the 9%, 2% are severely wasted. Such children have a small weight for height index. 14% of Ghanaian children are underweight and 3% severely underweight. The weight-for-age is low and reflects the effects of both acute and chronic malnutrition.

In all these there is a rural, urban split and a north, south divide. The worse is to live in a rural, northern community. It may surprise people that boys are more affected than girls. The worst is therefore to be a boy in a rural northern community.

Equally, of children aged 6-59 months, 78% are anaemic; 23% are mild; 48% are moderate and 7% are severe.

Children in rural Ghana – 84% are anaemic and 68% in urban areas; 89% and 88% in Upper East and Upper West regions compared to 62% in Greater-Accra region. The North – South divide is obvious.

These sad statistics tell us we are not feeding our children well at all. The damage that malnutrition has on our children 73.4% is incomprehensible and sadly irreversible.

And so all such children get damaged considerably. It affects their ability to comprehend and respond appropriately. It impacts on their abilities in school and is it any wonder that many of our children do not progress beyond Junior Secondary School.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) considers the level of anaemia observed among young children in Ghana to be a major public health concern.

Sadly most families seem to have continued from where our parents left off in the 60s, 70s and 80s, when all the meat was given to the fathers. In most homes in Ghana that is still what happens and the children are given either no meat or fish or very little.

It is the children who are growing up that need the meat, fish, eggs and beans to be able to not only grow up but develop their brains and all other parts of the body to face the challenges of life.

To be deprived therefore is to make them smaller in height and weight for their ages and also to be anaemic.

It is important that each child in Ghana have in addition to whatever protein (meat, fish, and eggs) they may have must also have a big laddle of beans every day.

In Europe and America, it was baked beans that cured most of their children from malnutrition. At least breakfast in the form of Koose, Yokogari (beans & gari mixed) or Waakye (beans & rice) is affordable.

Lunch and supper, the beans can be added to Kontomire (Spinach), Garden Eggs, Okro stew or to Palm nut soup. We must encourage our children to eat beans. Yes, they may become gassy and flatulent but that is a small prize to pay for good health and good brain development.

As a country, we must pay particular attention to the nutritional status of our children. It is shameful that 55% of deaths of children in Ghana have malnutrition as a major underlying factor.

We cannot afford to allow so many of our children to be on such a poor diet when we have everything they need here in Ghana.

We have all the carbohydrates they need, Rice, Yam, Plantain, Cassava, Cocoyam, Gari, for energy. We have all the vegetables they need, Kontomire (Spinach), Garden eggs, Okro, Beans, Avocado pears and many other green leaves (lettuce, borkorborkor, Elefu, Efiae) for micronutrients.

We have all the fruits, pawpaw, oranges, mangoes, mellon, pineapples, banana to provide all the antioxidants they need. We also have proteins, fish, meat (chicken, lamb, beef, goat, and pork), eggs and beans.

Small herrings ground into beans stew will provide as much protein as meat, so let not money be an excuse. Our future can only be guaranteed as a nation if we do not short chain our children.

We all can make a contribution to enable every child in Ghana have at least a big laddle of beans a day. We must ensure that as the barest minimum for every child born to this country Ghana. It will make our children, stronger, healthier and many times more intelligent and wiser.

There are at least 10% of Ghana’s population who have more than what they need and can easily contribute heartily to make no child sleep on an empty stomach.Another 30 – 40% may not have it all but have enough to make a contribution to ensure that no child sleeps on an empty stomach. The remainder, all know that they are better than many others and to contribute to help the less priviledged must be a Ghanaian thing.

Nobody from anywhere has the responsibility to ensure that we are able to feed ourselves. It is us Ghanaians who must ensure that no Ghanaian suffers unduly. We can do it. Are you prepared with your family and extended family to help?

Let us do it for posterity will judge us kindly if we make this campaign successful.

WE MUST BEGIN TO HELP OURSELVES.

Ghana is a land of milk and honey, endowed with fertile arable land, the vast majority of which is unfortunately occupied by weeds. We are therefore unable to feed ourselves.

It has white gold (salt), an infinite resource that we have all but forgotten since we found black gold (oil) but that alone is more than capable of looking after all our needs.

We have black gold and yellow gold (gold), but Ghana does not make the kind of money we could make if our leaders were a little more patriotic.

We have fallen into the very trap that Ephraim Amu warned us of in 1936 in the classic ‘Yen Ara Ye assase ni’, which has become our second national anthem but we do not seem to understand the words. It said ‘Arrogance, Greed and Selfishness shall be the bane of our development’ and it has really come to past.

Ghana has everything and more, enough to take care of all our needs. However, selfishness, individualism, greed and arrogance has conspired to make the country and the citizens poor. We are unable to tackle our problems ourselves because our politics prevents us from using all the brains we have in Ghana let alone borrow more and direct how it should be used.

We seem to be happy to sit back to allow others to take the decisions for us because we are not prepared to do it ourselves. But it must be said without equivocation that nobody from anywhere will develop Ghana for us. We have to do it ourselves and we must involve everybody born to this country. We were all created equal in the eyes of God and we shall all be judged by the same standards. To those much has been given, much is expected.

We have over the years lost a lot of our values as a country, imbibing everything foreign. Respect for our elders, honesty and integrity, kindness, gentleness, tolerance, caring and being our each others keepers must be brought back into our governance at all levels. We must accept our humanness, Ghanaianness and Africanness, and we must and be proud of it all.

These values, of our shared humanity and our Ghanaianness must be taught at home by parents and in schools by our teachers. It must be practicalized in our everyday dealings including our politics. The politics of insult helps nobody and does not endear the younger generation.

Ghana is at the centre of the world. Coordinate (0,0) is in Ghana’s waters. That is a geographical fact. That is Ghana’s brand – ‘Ghana, @ the Centre of the World’. It can be the greatest tourism attraction.

We only have to establish a National Marina near the land mass where Greenwich Meridian passes before it enters the Atlantic at Tema. Boats, Yatches and Ships can leave the Marina and all on board will be provided with compasses. At the Centre of the World, the compass will encircle itself, unable to rest at one point. There the ships, boats or yatches will turn back and all on board shall be provided with T-shirts with the inscription, ‘I have been to the Centre of the World’, in front, and Ghana with the Map of Ghana at the back.

Today, despite all the riches and many well trained persons in Ghana, our country continues to wallow in poverty. There must be enough to go round but many Ghanaian children and adults, go to sleep on empty stomachs. The inequities are the greatest challenges and must be confronted wholeheartedly.

Many Ghanaian children are small for their age in both heights (stunted) and weight (underweight) and all such children end up with compromised intellect and diminished ability unable to achieve their God given talents.

Many of our teenage girls become pregnant and give birth even before they are capable of looking after themselves. They must be encouraged to stay in school. Many pregnant women in Ghana die through child birth either from unsafe abortion and during, and after labour. Many children unacceptably die before their fifth birthday.

We can all come together and pledge that we shall make sure that,

• No Ghanaian from now onwards will sleep on an empty stomach.

• No Ghanaian child will be small in weight and height for age.

• No Ghanaian child shall die of preventable illness before age 5.

• No Ghanaian woman shall die of pregnancy related or avoidable illness.

• Ghanaian teenagers must be in school rather than getting pregnancy.

We can also work hard in a concerted way to rid Ghana off discrimination against the disabled and help provide for education and skills training to enable them contribute significantly to Ghana’s development. The aged must be remembered and cared for.

We must begin to help ourselves for nobody will do so for us.

If every Ghanaian adult capable (at least 30% of the 10.8 million adult population), was to cut down on his or her evening meal and contribute Gp 10 a day to the Healthy Ghana Fund; if all chop bars and fast food joints, contribute Gp 10 for every body who went there to eat and restaurants at lunch time and dinner contribute Gp 50 or GHc1.00 per client, and Hotels and Guesthouses contribute Gp 50 or Gh¢ 1.00 per client per night, we can begin to build up quite a fund to care for the nutritional needs of the vulnerable, children, pregnant women, disabled and the aged. In addition, Churches, Corporate Ghana, NGOs, Clubs, Professional bodies, Old boys and girls of second cycle schools can organize sponsored activities in support for this venture. It is anticipated that if all the contributions work up to every adult Ghanaian (10.8 million) contributing Gp 10 per day, it will be GH¢ 1,080,000 per day, GH¢ 32.4 million per month.

It is estimated that if GH¢ 1.00/day is spent on an estimated 400,000 children and 200,000 pregnant women over the period of 5 years and the drive on advocacy is sustained, Ghana shall attain MDG’s 4 and 5.

If also 100,000 aged and 50,000 disabled are supported under this project, our humanness and values as Ghanaians would have been restored.

There are many Ghanaians who can afford to contribute generously and must be willing to help in the crusade.

The musicians will contribute to the four crusades:

1. Saving Women’s Lives.

2. Feeding the Hungry Child.

3. Integrating the Disabled.

and

1. Remembering the Aged.

Ghana’s response to the Live Aid concert theme song, ‘We are the world’ shall be entitled ‘We must begin to help ourselves’ it will be sang by the best and talented musicians in Ghana.

Ranging from C.K Mann, A.B. Crenstil, Pat Thomas, Paapa Yankson, Gyedu Blay Ambulley, Bessa Simons, through Amakye Dede, Kojo Antwi, Daasebre Dwamena, Lumba, Nana Acheampong, Rex Omar, Amanziba to Kwabena Kwabena, Becca, Sakordie, Kwaadei, Ofori Amponsah, Lord Kenya, Kofi B, Batman, VIP, Sydney (Barima), 4X4, Tic Tac, Abrewa Nana, Nana Ama, to Reggae Stars, Ras Appiah Levi, Shasha Marley, Blakk Rasta, Rocky Dawuni and Gospel Singers like Diana Hopson, Christiana Love, Tagoe Sisters, Daughters of Glorious Jesus, Grace Ashy, Bernice Offei, Cecilia Marfo, Ohemaa Mercy, Ernest Opoku, Nacy (No Tribe), Choral Music and the many talented ones.

. There shall be many other fund raising activities.

The various sums of money shall be used to purchase, protein enriched biscuit and yoghurt, and corn soya and peanut blend for children between 6 months and 3 years who fall below approved growth percentiles and pregnant women who are moderately and severely anaemic.

The aged shall be organized with the assistance of Help the Aged and provided with mind games and a hot meal every Sunday and the disabled shall be provided with support for education and together will Opportunities Industrialization Centre (OIC), assist in providing them with skills and opportunities.

We can all ensure that everyone contributes to Ghana’s success.

SAVING WOMEN’S LIVES

99.5% of Ghanaian women who get pregnant deliver a baby. The 0.5% who do not get to deliver a baby is the subject of our campaign.

European countries and North American countries have less than 0.005% loses, which means there is a 100fold difference. This represents the chances of a woman in Ghana losing her life compared to a woman in Europe or America.

The loss of a mother with or without the baby has a major impact on the nuclear and extended family in Ghana.

Every adult in Ghana must know someone who has died in child birth. So, why have we all come to accept that as normal? Maybe it is our acceptance that has perpetuated this heinous crime on women.

Like Europe and North America, every Ghanaian woman who aspires to have a baby and get pregnant must be aided to deliver a healthy baby.

So how do we do that?

• We must ensure that every pregnant woman goes to antenatal clinics as soon as she knows she is pregnant.

• She must follow religiously everything that she is taught in the antenatal classes and must take all the drugs that are prescribed for her. It should include types of food to eat (nothing to do with our cultural food taboos), and rest and exercise as essential ingredients of a healthy life.

• To watch weight gain in order to prevent unusual increases.

• To take without fail, iron tablets, folic acid tablets and as and when necessary anti malarials.

Any unusual development must send the pregnant mother to the clinic. She must live in clean surroundings and personal hygiene must be next to godliness.

In Ghana, 59% of women are anaemic of which 39% are mild, 18% moderate and 2% severe. It is higher in the rural areas 62% than in urban areas 55%. Many of our pregnant women are anaemic 70%, (23.4% mild, 40% moderate and 6.6% severe), which means that their nutritional status is poor. It also means that if she should lose slightly more than usual blood during delivery, her health and that of the baby may be compromised.

It is therefore important that husbands ensure good food for their pregnant wives. It guarantees the health of their children yet unborn. We must ensure that by the time baby is ready to come out, all the deficiencies in mother’s nutrition should have been sorted out.

Delivery must be under trained health personnel.

Mother would have been educated on the danger signs in pregnancy, to provide her the desired information to make her decide to deliver in a facility.

Cultural issues that creates an impression that you are only a woman if you have had an unassisted delivery is not to be encouraged. What is most needed is the delivery of a healthy baby.

Trained health personnel know what to expect and are even prepared for the unexpected. In Ghana close to 60% deliver under the care of health personnel, 30% are delivered by Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA) and 10% by family members. It is important that the 40% join the 60% to ensure that all deliver under a trained health personnel.

It becomes relevant that the health personnel must do nothing that will drive away a pregnant woman. They must be welcoming in their attitude, supportive and encouraging in their temperament. Only then shall a distressed pregnant woman come and deliver in the health facility.

Even after delivery, mother and child must be thoroughly examined and kept under surveillance for any unforeseen circumstances. We need to all work to ensure that mother and baby are seen and discharged home healthy.

Transport owners and drivers who are called in the nick of night to transport a woman in labour must not fleece the family of their little gold as if it will never happen to them or a close relation. Let us contribute to save women’s lives.

Women, it is important that you all give support to your mothers, sisters, children and nieces as they will also give support to you. We owe to one another to ensure that all women go through safe delivery. But let us remind ourselves that the gap between pregnancies must be such that the mother recovers completely, her health and her body size. Experts say three years should be the interval between deliveries to make mother and the child before very healthy.

It therefore means that as a mother, family planning must be a companion. Choose what suits you and that should prevent an unwanted pregnancy. Every sexually active female who is not ready to have children must be on a family planning method.

It is fundamental that we support our teenagers to stay in school and learn rather than endulge. If for whatever reason the teenagers are unable to hold themselves then it is advised in their case to use either a female condom or insist on the use of a male condom for it not only prevents pregnancy but also sexually transmitted diseases. Some of which can eventually make you infertile.

Abortion is not a family planning method and cannot or must not be used as such.

REMEMBERING THE AGED.

Ghana’s demographics put the over 70’s at about 3% of the population which make them about 720,000 people.

The rapid urbanization which is a unidirectional migration from our rural communities mean that most rural communities have a high population of the aged and the dependent population of under 16, school going children.

The absence of job opportunities in the rural communities and the inability for subsistence farmers even to provide enough food for themselves mean the aged get marginalized.

In a country whose core values included respect for the aged, honesty and integrity, kindness, caring and each other keepers; there are serious erosions of these values leading to even greater difficulty and marginalization.

Rural poverty and the sprawling urban poor living in the slums of Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and the other cities have raised the spectre of discohesion among families.

A country that prided itself with an extended family network which was an effective care and support mechanism have all but broken down.

Most of the aged who have all their lives provided through subsistence farming, food and cash crops for the population and Ghana, are themselves, living on the fringes of poverty. The toll of farming on their lives means that they do not even get to the national retirement age of 60 and have to give up work.

The absence of a national pension and of a national farmers pension means that once they give up direct work they all fall back into severe poverty.

It is disconcerting to see many elderly men and women now walking the streets of the nation’s capital and regional capitals begging for their up keep.

It is compounded by the fact that many such elderly men and women have sadly been categorized as witches and wizards based purely on their poverty and some have gone through prayer camps and inhumane treatment.

The country must be alive to its responsibilities to all its citizens including the aged.

The provision of a National Pension and Farmers Pension will at least ensure that many of them be at least able to support themselves a bit.

In addition an opportunity for at least one hot meal and a chance to meet others in the same age bracket to play mind games such as oware, draught, ludo and snakes and ladder can be encouraged.

Healthy Ghana will join the crusade to advocate for a farmers pension. The National Pensions Act has made provision for a national pension. We shall advocate for a farmers pension as well.

In addition, Healthy Ghana will through collaborating agencies such as Help the Aged set up soup kitchens that will admit only the aged. They will be provided with enriched biscuits and yoghurt and probably a hot meal on Sundays.

We must respect the aged as a country. It is a charge we must all pledge to keep.

Healthy Ghana has committed itself through the ‘WE MUST BEGIN TO HELP OURSELVES’ project to ensure that the aged live and die in dignity. It will be a powerful advocate for their health, educating them on:

• Staying fit through a kinder, gentler programme of an active lifestyle including stretching, strengthening exercises and gentle aerobics.

• Healthy diet.

• Preventing falls particularly among the women with osteoporosis.

• Mental wellness and use of medication.

Regular check ups shall be encouraged and supported.