AGRIHOUSE Foundation, an agribusiness non-governmental organisation, the Pentecost Men’s Ministry (PEMEM), and PENTSOS are in the early stages of exploring opportunities to promote the Ministry’s agribusiness agenda among its members.
The inaugural meeting to discuss this exciting collaboration occurred at the General Headquarters of The Church of Pentecost on Monday, November 6, 2023. Representing PEMEM were the National Director, Apostle Vincent Anane Denteh, his deputy, Elder Ebenezer Acheampong, and Elder Stephen Djabah, a member of PEMEM’s National Executive Committee. Elder Frank Adutwum represented the Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS).
AGRIHOUSE team was led by its Founder and Executive Director, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, and Pamela Setor, the Impact and Promotions Executive. Among the attendees were Senator Ken Schilz from Nebraska, USA, and representatives from Heart Builders Real Estate, Eunice Taylor and Daniel Tetteh. Also present was Elder Benson Mensah, who is into piggery.
Alberta Akosa outlined AGRIHOUSE’s mission, which is to advance agribusiness through exhibitions, advocacy efforts, capacity-building programmes, community development initiatives, social impact programs, seminars, workshops, trade missions, and various innovative projects. She highlighted the organisation’s involvement in activities such as boot camps, pre-harvest programmes, one-house-one garden projects, and livestock programs, all aimed at enhancing the agricultural sector through education and training.
Senator Ken Schilz from Nebraska, on his part, emphasised the importance of marketing programs in ensuring that farmers receive fair value for their products while helping consumers better understand the processes involved in farming. He suggested that sharing personal farm stories through documentaries could foster a stronger connection between consumers and farmers, thereby ensuring that consumers appreciate the authenticity of the products they consume.
With PEMEM and PENTSOS agribusiness initiatives, the team expressed their interest in partnering with the church to bolster the agricultural sector.
Apostle Vincent Anane Denteh, Director of PEMEM and an Executive Council Member of the church, explained that about 60 percent of the church members depend on agricultural activities as their source of livelihood.
He, however, expressed concern about the problem of post-harvest losses affecting farmers in Ghana. Thus, the Ministry seeks to partner with any agribusiness organisation that will help to train church members who are into farming to overcome the challenges confronting them in the agribusiness sector.
The focus of PEMEM, according to him, is to train church members on best agribusiness practices to enhance their skills in the production, preservation, processing, and marketing of their farm produce.
Apostle Anane Denteh was optimistic that the Women’s and Youth ministries all have a stake in developing the skills of their members in agribusiness.
This potential partnership holds promise for the agricultural sector in Ghana and could pave the way for innovative solutions to the industry’s most pressing issues.
PENTECOST NEWS