Where we work

Asia

Latin America / Caribbean

Middle East / North Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa
• Cameroon
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
◦ Akosua Ghana's story
    ◦ SAT
• Nigeria
• Rwanda
• Uganda

United States

Grameen Foundation : Where we work : Sub-Saharan Africa : Ghana

Ghana

The Need in Ghana

• Life expectancy is 57 years old
  
• Literacy rate is 58 percent
• Only 44 percent of the population has access to electricity
• Close to 80 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day

With a wealth of natural resources, a good education system and efficient civil service, Ghana is often seen as an example of successful political and economic reform in Africa. Microfinance is still young in Ghana, but there is a huge demand for financial services. Microfinance reaches only 10% of the three million poor women in the area. Currently, there are unregulated Financial NGOs (FNGOs) that reach out to the poor, and regulated Savings & Loans companies (S&Ls) which are located in urban areas, but focus on higher-end clients. Rural areas, especially in north Ghana, still seriously lack financial access.

In 2008, Grameen Foundation partnered with the largest FNGO in Ghana, Sinapi Aba Trust (SAT), and plans to work with the country’s microfinance association, GHAMFIN, to help strengthen Ghanaian MFI partners by focusing on long-term capacity building.

The Mobile Technology for Community Health initiative focuses on using mobile phones to improve antenatal and newborn health care in rural Ghana.  The project will develop a suite of services delivered over low-end mobile phones that provide relevant health information to pregnant women; track childhood immunizations and address common questions about newborn care; and enable Community Health Nurses track patient care more accurately. 

Our partner microfinance institution in Ghana: SAT

Ghana client success story: Akosua Ghana

Grameen Foundation : Where we work : Sub-Saharan Africa : Ghana