Category: Ghana

October Project Roundup: Exiting Pineapple Project, Boots on the Ground in Panama, Corn Harvest in Ghana

AFRICA Ghana We now have six established VSLA groups plus several pending. We look forward to sharing more information about those with you soon. The first plot of corn from the demonstration site has been harvested. As a reminder, this was the crop the cows attacked early and had poor germination. The team is conducting… continue reading

Ghana Innovation Hub: A Place to Try, Learn and Share

Ideas are easy to come by. Good ideas that can translate into workable solutions, however, are another matter. To test and analyze the many ideas that come our way, we are working with Sesa Mu to establish a 10-acre Innovation Hub near the town of Berekuso. (Sesa Mu is a local farmer initiative committed to… continue reading

Collins Pipim Joins Just Hope in Ghana

We are pleased to announce that Collins Pipim has joined our team in Ghana. Collins holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Ghana, where he is currently pursuing a master’s degree. Collins began serving with Just Hope as a farmer advocate, and in this role works with farmers in the rural areas… continue reading

September Project Roundup: Pineapples Harvested for Fresh Market, New Cases of Ebola in Sierra Leone, Ghana Team Adds Another Advocate

AFRICA Ghana We are excited to announce another new hire in Ghana, Joseph Appiah, who will join Collins as a farmer advocate! Peter Mueller, our project manager, and Joshua Fiagbedzi, our advocate manager, have been spending a great deal of time with Joseph in training and orientation. Joseph has a background in agriculture and will… continue reading

Entrepreneurship out of necessity vs. entrepreneurship out of opportunity (Part 3/3)

Transforming necessity entrepreneurs into opportunity entrepreneurs (Part 3 of 3) In Part 2 of this series, I described the differences between necessity entrepreneurs – those who have become entrepreneurial in order to survive – and opportunity entrepreneurs – those who have become entrepreneurial because they have identified a market, a need and an ability to… continue reading

A Tool for Transformation: Our First VSLA Forms in Ghana!

With great celebration we announce the formation of our first Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) in Ghana! Consisting of nine men and ten women, the Sesa Mu VSLA is made up primarily of farmers who grow pineapple and corn in and around the town of Berekuso. They have committed to year together, trusting each other to create… continue reading

Entrepreneurship out of necessity vs. entrepreneurship out of opportunity (Part 2/3)

Entrepreneurism leads to economic growth, but often not in Africa. Why? (Part 2 of 3) In my previous blog, I described the active entrepreneurism I have experienced in Accra, Ghana, and many other places as well. Academic studies point toward positive links between entrepreneurial activity and economic growth. Entrepreneurs bring innovation by competing to find… continue reading

Entrepreneurship out of necessity vs. entrepreneurship out of opportunity (Part 1/3)

The entrepreneurial instinct (Part 1 of 3) While navigating the late afternoon rush in downtown Accra, Ghana, it is impossible not to notice the swarms of hawkers standing between lanes of traffic, selling products to commuters sitting in their vehicles, waiting to move again. The variety of goods available is astounding. There are all the… continue reading