Episcopal Relief & Development
Contact

(0) My Cart

Gifts for Life Donate Now
menu
search
  • What We Do
    • Priorities
      • Women
      • Children
      • Climate
    • Integrated Approach
      • Agriculture
      • Asset-Based Community Development
      • Clean Water
      • Disaster Resilience
      • Gender Equality & GBV
        • 16 Days of Activism Toolkit
        • Ending GBV in Liberia
      • Global Goals
      • Malaria – NetsforLife®
      • Maternal & Child Health
        • Early Childhood Development
      • Micro-finance
      • Sanitation & Hygiene
    • US Disaster Program
      • Emergency Responses
      • LONG-TERM RECOVERY PROGRAMS
      • Disaster Help
      • Faith-Based Response to Epidemics + Pandemics
      • Why Prepare?
      • Episcopal Asset Map
      • Resource Library
      • Lamplight
    • COVID-19 Pandemic Response
  • Where We Work
    • Africa
      • Angola
      • Burundi
      • The Democratic Republic of Congo
      • Ghana
      • Kenya
      • Liberia
      • Malawi
      • Mozambique
      • Namibia
      • South Sudan
      • Tanzania
      • Zambia
      • Zimbabwe
    • Asia
      • Myanmar [Burma]
      • The Philippines
      • Solomon Islands
      • Sri Lanka
      • Vanuatu
    • Latin America & the Caribbean
      • Brazil
      • Colombia
      • Cuba
      • El Salvador
      • Guatemala
      • Haiti
      • Honduras
      • Nicaragua
    • Middle East
      • Jerusalem / West Bank / Gaza
      • Jordan
    • United States
  • Who We Are
    • Mission and Mandate
    • History
    • Financials and Annual Reports
      • Financials Archive
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Board And Staff
      • Board of Directors
      • Staff
  • What You Can Do
    • ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE
    • Give
      • Donate Now
      • Sustainers Circle
      • Planned Giving
        • Matthew 25 Legacy Society
      • Other Giving Opportunities
        • Corporate Matching
        • Honor and Memorial Gifts
        • Gifts of Stock or Securities
        • Combined Federal Campaign
        • IRA Charitable Rollover Gifts
      • Our Pledge to Donors
    • Stay Informed
      • Blog
      • Sign Up
      • Newsletters
        • Seek & Serve – Newsletter
        • US Disaster News
    • Volunteer
      • Become a Ministry Partner
      • Great Ideas to Help Make a Difference
    • Pray
    • Careers
  • Press & Resources
    • 2021 Press Releases
      • Emergency Response to Alabama Tornadoes
      • Responding to Winter Storms
      • COVID-19 Pandemic Response
    • 2020 Press Releases
      • COVID-19 Pandemic Response
      • Responding to Storms in the Gulf Coast
      • Emergency Assistance After Typhoons in The Philippines
    • Stories
      • A Year of COVID-19: Response, Recovery and Resilience
      • 2020 in Review: Stories of Lasting Change
      • My 2021 New Year’s Resolution: Hope
    • Photo + Video
    • Online press kit
    • Media contact information
  • Church in Action
    • Lent
    • ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE
    • Church Resources
      • Worship Resources
      • Episcopal Relief & Development Sunday
      • Pray
      • Bulletin Inserts
      • Materials
      • Fair Trade Project
    • Christian Formation
      • Abundant Life Garden Project®
      • Coloring Book
Home | Stories | A Living Bank

A Living Bank

share

Greetings from Bolgatanga! I am here in northern Ghana visiting the programs of our local partner, ADDRO (the Anglican Diocesan Development and Relief Organization), in the Anglican Diocese of Tamale.  Bishop Jacob Ayeebo and some of the regional and local ADDRO staff have been graciously touring with us and introducing us to people who are participating in the agriculture, micro-finance and integrated health programs.

Being from out West, you’d think I’d know a thing or two about livestock – but I feel like I learned more this week about how animals fit into the daily lives and economies of rural communities than I ever did at home.

To start, the head of agricultural programs for ADDRO told us in his briefing that animal production is more stable than agriculture because it doesn’t depend as much on rainfall.  This is important because the climate in Ghana has changed over the past several generations, and rains are less predictable than they used to be. 

At the market in Binaba, we met a micro-finance participant who operates a food stall.  We learned that after she pays back her loan, which she uses to buy rice and ingredients for the stews that she sells, she invests her savings in livestock, which she sells when she needs extra money.

After that, a program leader in a rural part of Binaba told us that animals were a smart investment because even if the crops didn’t produce much grain, the animals could at least eat the green parts of the plants and survive that way.  He also told us that although cows and sheep are the preferred animals, goats are hardier and multiply faster, making them a good strategy in tougher times.

The thought of livestock as a sort of “living bank” had never occurred to me, but it makes a lot of sense!  Animal husbandry provides sustainable sources of food and labor, and it also stabilizes local economies and helps people earn income to care for their families.  No wonder livestock are a cornerstone of Episcopal Relief & Development’s strategies to alleviate hunger and improve food supply, here in Ghana and around the world. 

 

 

—————–

Faith Rowold is the Communications Officer at Episcopal Relief & Development.

Photo Credit: Rob Radtke, Episcopal Relief & Development

 

Sign up for News
Order Gifts for Life!

Read the Latest Stories

Quick Links

Prayers for Those Affected by Disaster

The Episcopal Asset Map 

Resources & Learning

Click below to access our Resource Library and learn more about our efforts around the world.

Discover

BECOME A PRAYER PARTNER

ACCOMPANY US IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY AND DURING TIMES OF CELEBRATION

Join Today
Episcopal Relief & Development
QUICK LINKS
  • Who We Are
  • Sign Up
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
Connect With Us
  • 1.855.312.4325
  • info@episcopalrelief.org
© 2021 Episcopal Relief & Development
  • Privacy Statement
  • Sitemap

Sign up to receive the latest stories.

15987