Harnessing (available) resources for development

Last year, the very first barcamp was held in Sunyani. It was an event that saw stakeholders in the region, meet to network and discuss issues related to its development.
This year, another barcamp beckons. As an agricultural hub of Ghana, there is the need to find out the resources available to us, to improve the sector.

• What information is available to farmers and those in agriculture?

• What role does (or can) ICT play in agriculture?

• What organisations are doing a lot to better the agricultural sector in Ghana as a whole?

• What can I do as an individual to help in the development of my community?

For answers to these and other questions, join us at Barcamp Sunyani on the 9th of November, 2013 at the University of Energy and Renewable Resources, at 9am prompt.

Do follow discussions on twitter via the hashtag #bcsyi. You can also register for the event online.

See you when I see you...

Nkrankrom No. 4 -- a village near Sunyani

Nkrankrom No.4 is a village in the Sunyani Municipality of Ghana. A 25-minutes drive from Abesim would get you to the vilage. On foot from the Catholic Secretariat, it would take you about 45 minutes to get to the village.
I actually 'discovered' the village with a couple of friends  when we decided to take a stroll some days ago.

We saw no borehole in Nkrankrom. No school. The kids, we learnt attended school in Nkrankrom No.1. The bridge connecting these two villages is broken, and as such, no vehicle can access that route. The folks in this village are mostly peasant farmers who engage in subsistence farming.

I asked why the name 'Nkrankrom' (loosely translated, Ga town). I was told that four brothers migrated to the area, years ago. They settled close to one another and started their individual communities, hence the numbers 1 through 4 attached to differentiate them.

The folks are welcoming, and would have wished we spent more time with them. My friends and I plan to go there another time, and perhaps get to know their needs better -- and (possibly) some palm wine. (smiles)

From what we saw, Nkrankrom No.4 doesn't suffer from 'food poverty', it is the social amenities that are lacking.

Real Estate Development in Sunyani

About six years ago, accommodation in Sunyani -- Ghana's bread basket -- and recently christened 'Suncity', was not a problem people gave enough thought to. It. Was. Cheap.
Now, the story is different. Accommodation is now expensive. This is as a result of the growth the town has been enjoying in the past couple of years.

Snapshot of the hall

Newmont started operations in Kenyasi (a town 45min drive away from Sunyani). Most of their workers where housed in Sunyani. The company paid more than the average tenant.
Landlord's and landlady's saw the light!
Then the banks also found their way into.Sunyani: Zenith, Stanbic, Fidelity.
The Catholic University and the Sunyani polytechnic also contribute to the rent hike as they do not have adequate accommodation for their students.
But real estate development seems to be the latest 'craze' in Sunyani now. A lot of buildings are being put up.
I'd advise all interested in Real Estate development to grab the opportunity and get in on the action!
Some rent figures in Sunyani:
A single room with inbuilt toilet and bath costs ¢800/yr (on average)
A two-bedroom apartment goes for ¢200/month (on average)
A chamber and a hall costs ¢130/month (on average)

A snapshot of the bedroom

Sunyani is really growing, not just in population increase, but also with resources. I however fear if the growth is not controlled, it would not be a clean, hospitable, lovely town it is. Another blog post will talk on this.
Do watch out for Barcamp Sunyani in April, and make it a point to attend. See you there!

PS: The pictures in this post are of a chamber and Hall I nearly rented a month ago. Rent was  ¢150/month.