Where We Work

Remote, rural – hungry for change

We work in Lawra and Nandom, Upper West Ghana, right on the border with Burkina Faso. Around 500 miles from the capital Accra, the region struggles with climate change and has the highest poverty incidence in Ghana (Ghana Statistical Service 2015).

Lawra is home to 58,000 people, Nandom to 51,000 – and until 2012, the two districts were part of a larger Lawra District, meaning there are close cultural connections. Four out of five of the working population are subsistence farmers, struggling to grow enough food in rainy season to make it through the tough dry months. Ministry of Agriculture figures back up what we witness on the ground – that many households can afford just one meal a day.

Rates of basic education completion are low and according to the 2021 Census, the literacy rate is just 46%, one of the worst rates in the whole country (national average 70%).

But, with a young population, Lawra and Nandom are hungry for change. Our community-focused Hub Model makes Action Through Enterprise uniquely placed to support sustainable development in these hard-to-reach, rural communities.

Registered charity number: 1149988