FIC Apostolate in Ghana In Ghana our brothers live in 9 communities, based in Accra, Damongo, Kaleo, Nandom, Tamale, Tumu, Wa (2) and Zebilla.

Our brothers are mainly involved in primary, secondary and professional education of the youth, with a preference for the poor, especially in remote areas, in agricultural and building projects, in formation of religious, in work for streetchildren. Quite a number of younger brothers is studying for professional qualifications, in Ghana as well as abroad. READ about our present apostolates - PICTURES are to come !

SURVEY OF OUR APOSTOLATE

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A) PRODUCER ENTERPRISES PROMOTION SERVICE CENTRE (PEPSC), NANDOM The PEPSC, which was formerly called PCSC (Producer Enterprises Service Centre) was established in January 1986 to provide self-employment and some follow-up programmes for Vocational School leavers in the Diocese of Wa. It has now extended beyond the Wa diocese. As a result of the lack of employment for the young skilled artisans who complete our vocational schools in this diocese, there was a tendency for these young men to migrate to the southern part of the country in search of employment. In this way the community of Nandom and its surroundings, and the Upper West Region of Ghana as a whole was deprived of skilled artisans. Previously, the vocational schools would try to support these graduates with some loans of money and tools, to enable them establish themselves at home. But, as their number grew, these schools could no longer cope with the situation. The PEPSC, was therefore established by the Brothers FIC to organise and co-ordinate the affairs of these young men (and women) to enable become more effective in their efforts at self-employment and thus prevent the brain-drain to the south. PEPSC works by getting them to form co-operatives or enterprises. PEPSC then assists these enterprises to become viable by giving them advice on the skills of general management and offering them technical advice at a very cheap cost. Loans are given for the building of work-shops. PEPSC also sets up materials depots for the easy purchase of working materials, and provides transport and heavy equipment for hiring.   B) NANDOM FOOD FARMERS COOPERATIVE MOVEMENT (NACOP) The project that saw the birth of the Nandom Food Farmers Co-operative Movement was initiated in 1977. The motivation for starting this project was to address the food storage and marketing needs of farmers in the project catchment area. The project was a direct response to the realisation that most farmers were compelled to sell the bulk of their annual food products cheaply at the time of harvest to 'middlemen' only to buy back the same food at exorbitant prices during the lean season. The project promoted the establishment of village groups, which will undertake the purchase, storage and resale of food stuffs within their own communities. This would ensure the retention of food in the communities and by eliminating middlemen. And the cost of food would be reasonably low even in the lean season. The involvement of the FIC Brothers in the project dates back to 1997, when one of its members was requested to take over responsibilities for the Management of the project. Since, then the project has seen a gradual reorientation from the establishment of village groups to the promotion of viable co-operative societies that would stimulate the initiation and growth of a diversity of economic activities in the catchment areas. To this extent, besides the provision of village level storage facilities, the project has also been engaged in the promotion of co-operative societies through community animation and leadership training programmes. It also supports the groups with credit facilities either directly or via intermediaries, to provide them with the capital required for the grain storage programmes and other income generating activities.   C) TUMU AGRICULTURAL STATION The Tumu Agricultural Station is the only one out of five Agricultural Stations in the Diocese of Wa which is currently managed by the FIC Brothers. Historically, the FIC Community in Tumu was established to cater for their members who were undergoing training at the Kanton Teacher Training College. The establishment of an agricultural project was therefore a spin-off initiative. It was started by one of the Brothers in the FIC Community who was not in training. It was in direct response to the need to address the agricultural problems of the Tumu area. The training programmes that the station developed were largely seen as functional educational programmes intended to promote the agricultural productivity of the target communities. The inputs supply component of the station's activities provides much needed inputs for the farmers. Currently, the station is focusing on promoting animal traction and organic farming as well as other intensive agricultural practices as opposed to the extensive practices used by the farmers.   D)STREET CHILDREN'S PROGRAMME The Catholic Action for Street Children (CAS) of the Archdiocese of Accra, and the Street Girls Aid (SAID) programmes represent yet another diversion of the FIC's response to situations of our time. There is a social dislocation of a certain category of children in Accra, the capital of Ghana. Typical of most big cities in Africa and elsewhere. CAS/SAID has as its objectives the following: To know more about the children and their needs and expectations in order to console them so as to enable them better decide what they want to do with their lives. To show love and concern to the children and create a safe haven in a house(s) of refuge and assist those children who wish to be re-united with their families. To co-operate with all organisations and groups that are interested and involved in projects to re-integrate street children back into communities. To provide assisted health care and health education to the children. And for SAID, specifically, create a safe place during pregnancy and delivery of babies. To provide educational (formal and informal) opportunities and job opportunities for the children. To assist the children with the help of employers to improve their skills and to help find jobs for them. E) NANDOM SECONDARY SCHOOL The Nandom Secondary School was the first Second cycle institution to be established by the FIC Brothers in Ghana. Although construction of the school started in earnest in 1965 in Nandom, formal academic work started in 1986 in Kaleo, about 70km south of Nandom. Between 1968 and 1991, the school was under the management of the Brothers FIC, although it was admitted into the public system in 1973. From an initial complete involvement in the management of the Nandom Secondary School, the FIC Brothers have had to limit and/or disengage from active involvement in the school over time due to the shortage of personnel within its ranks. Currently, there are three FIC Brothers who are formerly affiliated to the school. From the outside, the congregation is still showing interest in the school, as evidenced by their recent procurement of a project grant to help refurnish some of its vital infrastructure.   F) ST. BASILIDE'S VOCATIONAL SCHOOL, KALEO. St. Basilide's Vocational School was founded by the Brothers FIC under the auspices of the Catholic Diocese of Wa. The school was officially opened on 5th February, 1973 by Bro. Jos van Dinther. Together with some other Brothers they experienced a great shortage of skilled labour when they were building Nandom Secondary School. They had to import craftsmen from the southern part of Ghana to do the job. This school was therefore in response to the need to help the young men and women in the diocese to acquire employable skills that will enable them earn a decent living. It also aims at equipping them with Christian values that would guide their work in the larger society. The school offers courses in carpentry and joinery (woodwork), welding and fabrication, electrical installation and building technology. Basic book-keeping, English language, Mathematics and Religious instructions are also taught as complementary subjects. Besides Bible knowledge ( religious/moral education) and its relevance to life, the content of the religious instructions includes basic civic education and social studies, ie. Basic principles of economics and human development.   G) FIRST CYCLE (BASIC EDUCATION) INSTITUTIONS FIC is currently involved in five (5) basic education institutions. These are located in Wa (2), Tumu (1), Chinchang (1) and Zebilla (1) in the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese. The involvement of the FIC in these schools ranges from the provision of Brothers to serve as classroom teachers and/or Headteachers of the school to infrastructure development Through our solidarity fund, we have also provided material and financial support to some of the schools for the construction and/or rehabilitation of basic school infrastructure and the procurement of furniture. The schools in which the Brothers FIC work are mainly under the Catholic Education units of the respective diocese. As such, the religious culture, of the schools have contributed to the maintenance of a certain level of discipline in these schools.   H) IN-SERVICE TRAINING CENTRE (ISTC), WA The In-Service Training Centre was formerly the St. Louis Preparatory School - a school which used to accept boys from primary six and groom them for one academic year, so as to prepare them to sit the Common Entrance Examination into the senior secondary school. But when the Education Reforms in Ghana were introduced in 1987, the Common Entrance Exam was abolished. This implied that the St louis Preparatory School had out-lived its usefulness. It was therefore decided by the then Provincial Administration of the Brothers FIC to convert the Preparatory school into an In-Service Training Centre, in the year 1991. The vision of the In-Service Training Centre is to be a model centre within the Diocese of Wa, in providing various means (workshops, seminars, and conferences) for the updating and on-going formation needs of personnel of church and civil organisations. This is done in accordance with the developmental policies of the Diocese, especially with the view to ensuring evangelisation through effective and sustainable pastoral ministry. It is important to note that there is currently a Board of Governors for the centre. This Board is charged with a /o fashioning out a youth programme for the centre, both on short-term and long-term basis. The Board intends to carry out a training-needs assessment, on the basis of which long-term programmes that will address the issues of Christian formation, may be organised by the centre. Currently, the Centre is running a programme to develop a syllabus for the teaching of religious education in primary and junior secondary schools (JSS), that will be based on the principles and teachings of the catholic church.