Ghana

There is a huge demand for financial services in Ghana, but the microfinance industry in the country is still young, reaching only a fraction of the estimated three million Ghanaians who would benefit. Unregulated financial non-governmental organizations (FNGOs) currently reach out to the poor, and regulated savings and loan companies (S&Ls), located in urban areas, focus on higher-end clients. However, rural areas, especially in north Ghana, still seriously lack financial access.

• Life expectancy in Ghana is 60 years old
• Literacy rate is 65 percent
• Almost one-fifth of children in Ghana under 5 are underweight
• Almost one-third of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day 

Grameen Foundation began working in Ghana in 2008.  We currently work with Sinapi Aba Trust and provide financing to Grameen Ghana and Maata-N-Tudu Association. These MFIs are serving nearly 100,000 clients.

In addition to microfinance, we have launched the Mobile Technology for Community Health initiative, which is funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We work in  collaboration with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, the Ghana Health Service, and the Dodowa Health Research Center. This project uses mobile technology to deliver vital health care information to ensure that women have healthy pregnancies and births, and to provide advice on caring for a newborn.