Narration: The Founder of the Eastwood Anaba
Ministries, Rev Eastwood Anaba has underscored the urgent need for individuals
and groups to contribute to efforts of improving
food security and famine in poverty stricken areas. He said it is important to
reach out to the poor and the needy in times of need and not always wait for
government’s assistance which does not come early or often not forthcoming. Rev
Anaba made the plea when he presented food aid and other farm inputs to
selected poor households and communities in the Upper East Region. The donation
which was done under the auspices of the Joseph Group, a wing of the Fountain
Gate Chapel, was used to launch the pilot phase of the ministry’s Food Outreach
Project. Isaac Asare has the rest of the story for Radio Ghana
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According to experts, a little over one million people representing 5
percent of Ghana’s population are food insecure with the Upper East Region
being the hardest hit. Out of the figure about five hundred of the people
living in poverty endemic areas faces severe food crisis though the larger
percentage of the people are predominantly farmers. Factors such as degradation,
drought, poor soil fertility, erratic rainfall pattern and harsh climatic
conditions account for the high level of food insecurity in the said poverty
stricken areas. Beyond that, lack of modern agricultural practices and a poorly
developed informal sector also pose a major challenge. The situation continues
to worsen the plight of the farmers in the deprived areas of Ghana;
particularly the Upper East Region The region is currently experiencing an
inconsistent rainfall pattern making it difficult for farmers to farm their
produce. As a way to alleviate the sufferings of farmers in the region, the
Eastwood Anaba Ministries in conjunction with the Joseph Group, an offspring of
the Fountain Gate Chapel has taken a giant initiative to reach out to poor
households and communities in the region in anticipation of an imminent food
shortage. The move is in line with the ministry’s commitment to provide food
aid and technical assistance to needy individuals and communities under its
novelty support project dubbed: ‘The Food Assistance Project’. The project
involves the donation of seedlings and other basic necessities to beneficiary
farmers. Under the same project, an agricultural impact seminar has taken place
in selected communities of the region. The donation of the food items to the
selected communities of Winkogo, Balungu and Pwalugu demonstrates the
ministry’s resolve to give back to the community. The items include bottles of
cooking oil, bags of millet, rice, groundnut and fertilizers. The beneficiaries
were also supported with an unspecified cash amount to improve their living
standard. The visit of Rev Eastwood Anaba and his team afforded farmers the
opportunity to brief the church on their current situation. Rev Anaba in an
interview with Radio Ghana said though the region was going through difficult
times, there were hopes for a promising economic recovery. He however
highlighted the need for Ghanaians, particularly Christians to live by the
dictates of Christ by giving generously to the needy. According to him,
Churches and institutions have not done enough in reaching out to the poor and
encouraged all to complement the effort of government in lessening the plight
of the needy in society. Madam Asibi Bamoo, a beneficiary was grateful to Rev
Anaba and his team for their sense of responsiveness. Rev Anaba and his entourage later paid a
courtesy call on the chief of Balungu and Winkogo to brief them on the
significance of the visit. The donation of the food items including the
fertilizers will continue till October this year whilst efforts are being made
to reach out to other needy farmers.
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