BYU Interns: Finding Ways to Help in Ghana

The first group of interns from BYU report on their internship to Ghana

 

Ghanaian school children pose for a picture

Dean R. Kent Crookston of the College of Biology and Agriculture at Brigham Young University and Ezra Taft Benson Agriculture and Food Institute Director N. Paul Johnston envisioned significant improvement for Okwenya, Ghana, when the Benson Institute first began projects in 1999. David Kooyman, project administrator and animal science professor at BYU, furthered the Benson Institute’s vision for improvement in Okwenya by sending four BYU interns to the community in the spring of 2000. Jaycie Fidel, Chad Gasser, Shannon Gasser, and Lisa Burt worked in Okwenya for three months collecting baseline data for intervention possibilities pertaining to nutrition and animal husbandry.

Nutrition

Jaycie Fidel, a Master’s student in nutrition working under Lora Beth Brown of BYU’s Food Science and Nutrition Department, decided that the best way to assess the nutritional needs of the community would be through a survey of the women within the village. The survey assessed child feeding practices, types and quantities of food produced, and foods which might be accepted if introduced in future interventions. These interviews helped reveal that most families produce fair quantities of food during the harvest season, but the food spoils soon after due to poor preservation techniques. Also, there is an increasing interest in producing chickens, fish, and tomatoes. Besides working with the mothers, Fidel used pre- and post-testing methods in Okwenyan schools to determine if nutritional education at that level would improve knowledge of nutrition-related topics. She found that the children effectively retained knowledge and commented that “children who have increased levels of nutrition may be able to improve the nutritional status of following generations.”

Animal Science

Lisa Burt (left) and Shannon Gasser gather fecal matter samples from a cat to determine parasite frequencies.

Chad Gasser, Lisa Burt, and Shannon Gasser prepared lessons to teach in the schools. Topics included hygiene, treatment for diarrhea, and the effects of parasites on the body. Also, the three other interns worked in the area of animal science with Kooyman. They researched animal parasite levels and surveyed quality of livestock. The group found that most animals were infected with intestinal worms, which can depress the immune system and decrease absorption of nutrients. Frequent contact between humans and livestock greatly increases the likelihood for the parasite infection of humans. In Okwenya, goats, chickens, pigs, and sheep are allowed to wander freely in and out of houses and around the village. Comparatively, cattle which were fenced into corrals had a lower parasite count—the cattle were not owned by villagers, but rather by urban businessmen who rented the land. These studies will serve as a foundation to establish disease and parasite control in both humans and animals.

Conclusion

With the data collected by the interns, the Benson Institute can begin planning future programs of intervention. Many are already underway. In the next year, a variety of crops and improved crop techniques will be introduced, anti-parasitic drugs will be available, and educational materials will be implemented in the schools. The intern group feels that Okwenya is a perfect place for improvement. “Most of the people are very interested in (our help),” said Chad Gasser. “Their homes are here, their families are here, and they see that the only way to better their lives is through learning.”