Earlier this spring, an MKFC team led by Kay Obiri-Mainoo, started working on a development project in the village of Niliyungdo in northern Ghana. Since then, they have worked intensely on a grassroots level, talking and discussing with the villagers, and giving them an important role in identifying and prioritizing community needs.

1. Niliyungdo Today
A step taken, stepping in the right direction
Kay Obiri
September 25, 2009

2. A mark in the sand
CAP visited Niliyungdo recently to interact with the natives that live
there.
Firstly, we went to the school to see the students, and to talk to them,
also to find out if there had been any changes in the way they also
viewed their village.
There is a community built school now in Niliyungdo, the student
class ranging from class 1-6, from ages 4-24
Amos is a student in the 6th grade, he is 22 years old.
Talking to Amos about the sudden changes in the village, he was all
too happy to share his point of views and experiences.

3. “We did not think it was important to go to school, we have our farms
for food, we harvest and bring it to the marketplace to sell. That is
how it has always been, we did not think about what was happening
in other places, illness here is normal to all of us. What you are doing
here is not easy because our people have lived this life since little.
The changes that is seen today is still very new to us, but we see that
there is less mosquitoes in places that were bad, the place is looking
nice and everyone is more happy, we can not give up now.”
Amos is not the
only person in his
age range who has
decided to be in
school, there are
others just like
him.
There are also
others yet to follow
in their footsteps.
Indeed it is not easy to change someone, as it is said “You can bring
the horse to the river, but you can not make the horse drink unless it
wants to”
The people of Niliyungdo were hungry for change!
They want to be involved with everything that will help them out of
their current situation.

4. Personally, I have not seen such eagerness to make a difference so
quickly, but the reply I received from the teacher, Mr Solomon was “if
someone is willing to be a friend and walk with you, unless you get up
and walk along, you will be sitting in the same place.”
I could not agree more!
It is our goal to make Niliyungdo a model village for surrounding
villages, and in turn for others to change. In order to achieve this
chain reaction within these other villages, the hunger for change
must be realized within the other villages too and this hunger will be
realized when they see what is taking place elsewhere.
I am glad to say that more and more individuals are coming to
Niliyungdo to find out for themselves if indeed change is taken place.
As the chief is the head of the village, the positive reaction that he has
given his people, is one that motivates them not to give up.
We had talked on
earlier visits to
the students
about other
schools
involvement with
Eno Tree Planting
Day.
Without any word
as to how to go
about from us,
they too started
planting trees.

5. That is the students passion for change, realizing that they are far
behind in terms of health, education, environmental awareness
among many others.
It was now not about doing nothing but starting somewhere, making
sure that they are not left behind.
Niliyungdo LA students taking part in tree planting day!

6. The School today
Secondly, we visited the locals to talk and share ideas as to how they
might see the community improving and their suggestions.
There are quite
an extensive
projects that
are yet to take
place in
Niliyungdo, and
the progress of
all projects, is
understanding
from the
villagers.

7. As I talked to some of the locals, the problems that were still left to
attend to seemed like a mighty mountain blocking their path, but as
we were there to “walk with them” I know it will not be an unscalable
mountain.
One that was brought to my attention was that on some nights, the
weather gets very hot, leaving no other choice but to sleep out in the
compound.
Still these are conditions that needs improvement, individuals that do
not have mosquito nets are constantly at risk, leaving the biting of
mosquitoes to chance, hoping not to get sick from the bites.
We actually experienced such a night on a visit, but luckily for us we
had mosquito nets!

8. The empowering of women in Niliyungdo is a heartfelt issue that is
being tackled.

9. The urgent recognition of how the women cared so much about the
family, and the selflessness and willingness to go above and beyond to
ensure the safety of their family members had to be brought to light.
Stressing the need for the women to have the power to make
decisions and changes on behalf of the family was one that we had
talked about.
It was and is a topic that we will continue to address until it has been
straightened to give the women power to do as they see fit on behalf of
their families.

10. Lastly, we visited some farmers to see the work done in Niliyungdo
The pride that the farmers had in their farms, and to see that we were
interested in all that they were doing, made them more willing to help
and see that all we were doing with them progress.
It was yam season, and so most of the planting were yam.
Yam is the edible starchy tuber of a climbing plant, widely distributed
in tropical and subtropical countries.

11. There is also rice farming some of the farmers grow in addition to
others.
The local way of processing rice is quite demanding for the villagers,
making the selling of it more difficult to compete with others in the
field with the proper equipment.

13. The people are growing, and the problems that were “tugged under
the rug” are now being addressed.
It takes planning, it requires our involvement along with their
understanding.
Niliyungdo, in the end of all our CAP projects will indeed become a
model village for all others to come and learn how to change their
community also.