Ryan Coelho in Ghana

The volunteer

“Being born in Canada, I have had the fortune of growing up with food on the table, a roof over my head, a great education and endless opportunities,” explains Ryan Coelho, a Ryerson University graduate. “But when I was introduced to EWB, I began to learn this wasn’t the case for many people around the world.”

After helping to launch the Ryerson chapter of EWB, Ryan felt compelled to take even more action to combat poverty. He is now partnered with Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) in the upper east region of the nation.

The challenge

Ghana’s economy is considered one of the most stable in West Africa, and it continues to experience growth. The country has twice the per capita output of its poorest neighbours, but is still greatly dependent on foreign aid. Ghana’s economy relies heavily upon agriculture, with 55 per cent of the workforce employed by farming.

The opportunity

To seize the opportunities of the expected economic growth, MoFA is implementing EWB’s Agriculture as a Business (AAB) program. The initiative helps prepare Ghanaian farmers to access market opportunities and to view their operations as moneymaking ventures. AAB promotes such important activities and initiatives as record keeping, profitability analysis and productive farmer groups.

Working in the Bongo District, Ryan is piloting the branch of AAB that focuses on business analysis. He will also takeover as EWB Regional Co-ordinator for the AAB program and will be responsible for coordinating new EWB placements and regional communication.