Project Title: The Protocol for the Cultivation of Cryptolepis Sanguinolenta, a Medicinal Plant Species Used in the Treatment of Malaria.
Lead Applicant: Dr. Naalamle Amissah (Department of Crop Science)
Email Address: namissah@ug.edu.gh
Award Amount: GHS10, 000
Project Status: On-going
Summary
The medicinal plant, Cryptolepis sanguinolenta is currently collected from the wild in non-sustainable ways, and used by the pharmaceutical industry and herbal clinics to produce herbal decoctions for the treatment of malaria.
The technology is a protocol is a cropping cycle developed to allow collectors/farmers/ herbal companies cultivate the plant species and to ensure a reliable and continuous supply of the raw material needed for the preparation of their herbal decoctions.
The transfer of this technology is expected to:
- offer an alternative to wild harvesting by helping to conserve endangered species in their natural habitat.
- guarantee the medical plant manufacturing industry a steady and reliable source of raw material for the production of herbal decoctions.
- offer a good source of income to farmers.
Project Title: A training and sensitisation workshop to equip beneficiaries with methods of improving palm oil production in Ghana.
Lead Applicant: Professor Kwabena Ofosu–Budu(Forest And Horticultural Crop Research Centre)
Email Address: obuduster@gmail.com
Award Amount: GHS19, 959.50
Project Status: On-going
Summary
About 80% of Ghana's annual palm oil output is produced by grassroots artisanal palm oil producers who use rudimentary and traditional techniques in the preprocessing, processing and post processing of their operations. The process lacks food safety standards and creates conditions for bacterial infection. it also involves excessive heating which destroys the carotene content that gives the palm oil its reddish colour which is the reason for the use of Sudan dye to to give the oil its reddish colour.
The U.K Food Safety Agencies recent “FOOD ALERTS" alerting and warning E.U consumers not to patronize palm oil from Ghana due the detection of Sudan Dyes in several batches of palm oil exported from the country has impacted negatively on artisanal producers and led to loss of consumer confidence and market share. Ghana has been warned to address the issue of palm oil adulteration or face an export ban. The District most affected by the negative impact of oil adulteration is the Kwaebibirim District where the bulk of grassroots artisanal palm oil producers are located.
It is for this reason that the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST) in collaboration with the
Technology Development and Transfer Centre (TDTC) of the University of Ghana decided to take it as a serious matter and delve into how best they can help, and educate the smallholder farmers on how to use a more advanced and scientific means to optimise production.
Professor Richard Boateng: Senior High School Opencourseware
Project Title: Senior High School Opencourseware
Lead Applicant: Professor Richard Boateng (Operations and Management Information Systems)
Email Address:
Grant Amount: GHS7, 000
Status of project: On-going
Summary
The poor performance of students in the core courses at the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination can be attributed to the non-adherence to rubrics, poor understanding of scientific and mathematical concepts and lack of subject teachers or quality teaching at the senior high schools.
This project seeks to introduce the Senior High School OpenCourseWare (OCW), a digital publication of course materials of Senior High School (SHS) education in Ghana to enhance learning and performance of students through video based content. In so doing, the project will:
a) Identify content to be developed;
b) Develop content for SHS OpenCourseWare;
c) Demonstrate use of SHS OpenCourseWare;
d) Validate content;
e) Launch the SHS OpenCourseWare.
This technology is expected to be transferred to key actors in Ghana’s educational sector; e.g., West Africa Examinations Council.
It is expected that the adoption of this technology will contribute to improving the quality of teaching or knowledge transferred to SHS students; improve students’ preparation for WASSCE; improve the instructional process in the classroom and SHS educators’ knowledge on subject matter through peer-review of the content developed.
Mrs. Jocelene Buckman: Community Development
Project Title: Community Development
Lead Applicant: Mrs. Jocelene Buckman (Counselling and Placement Centre)
Email Address: jbuckman@ug.edu.gh
Award Amount: GHS10, 000
Project Status: On-going
Summary
The growth of Graduate Unemployment is alarming with about 75,000 graduates entering the labour market annually. Less than 2% are able to find employment in the formal sector, leaving about 98% unemployed, or to survive in the informal sector on unsecured income. As at 2013 unemployed graduates in Ghana was estimated to be around 200,000.
Research indicates that training, technical assistance, and mentorship are important in creating a successful Youth Entrepreneurship program.
This project on community development will conduct an orientation for participant on community development and social enterprise. This will be facilitated by entrepreneurs who will also serve as mentors during the period of the venture start-up. put participants put in interdisciplinary groups of 3-5 and placed them with host families in selected deprived communities to experience life under such conditions and to recommend ways in which those communities could be transformed for the better. This will be done during the holidays and the recommendations will generate ideas for social enterprises run by the students. Students will receive training on entrepreneurship to help them run their social enterprises
While living in the communities, participants will engage with the inhabitants to gain a better understanding of challenges within the communities which will in turn help generate solutions. The recommended solutions will become the basis for social enterprises in which students can be engaged, whether for profit or as an NGO.