Because of you…
Youth for Christ desires to see a new generation of young leaders who are committed, dedicated and zealous for God’s work.
To achieve this objective and to be even more relevant to this generation and beyond, the ministry combines ministry activities as well as social involvement activities reaching out to the young people in our nation, regions and communities and beyond.
The ministry activities currently running include church youth leadership training, staff and volunteer training, youth evangelism, school worship, community club activities, counseling, mentoring, leadership coaching, sports and musical crusades among others.
Ghana also plays host to a number of Project Serve teams from around the world. In the area of social involvement, Youth for Christ is involved in HIV/AIDS awareness and sensitization programs, malaria awareness and a school project for the underprivileged in society.
With all these programs and more, Youth for Christ hopes to discharge its responsibility of developing young people who would make a difference in their generation.
Prayer Needs
- God’s blessing on the ministry of Youth for Christ.
- Strength and revitalization of the 4 regional centres, equipping their offices to make them operational.
- Favour with the government of Ghana as well as peace and stability in the economic, social, and political arenas of Ghana.
- Continued training of staff and volunteers, preparing them to meet the challenges of youth ministry.
- Continued expansion of the HIV Awareness programs to help the nation’s youth.
About Ghana
Ghana
Introduction
Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. Ghana endured a long series of coups before Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS took power in 1981 and banned political parties. After approving a new constitution and restoring multiparty politics in 1992, RAWLINGS won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996, but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. John KUFUOR succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. John Atta MILLS took over as head of state in early 2009.
Geography
Location
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
Geographic Coordinates: 8 00 N, 2 00 W
Area
Total Area: 238,533 sq km Rank: 81
Land Area: 227,533 sq km
Water Area: 11,000 sq km
Comparison: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land Boundaries: 2,094 km
Bordering Countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km
Coastline: 539 km
Climate
tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
Terrain
mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Elevations
Lowest Point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest Point: Mount Afadjato 880 m
Natural Resources
gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone
Land Use
Arable land: 17.54%
Permanent Crops: 9.22%
Other: 73.24% (2005)
Irrigated Land: 310 sq km (2003)
Renewable Water Resources: 53.2 cu km (2001)
Total Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): 0.98 cu km/yr (24%/10%/66%)
Freshwater Withdrawal Per Capita: 44 cu m/yr (2000)
Environment
Natural Hazards: dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts
Environmental Issues: recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water
Environmental Agreements: Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
Geography Notes
Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake
People
Population: 23,887,812 Rank: 47
Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 years: 37.2% (male 4,494,633/female 4,394,074)
15-64 years: 59.2% (male 7,065,273/female 7,086,023)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 389,886/female 457,923) (2010 est.)
Median Age: 20.8 years
Population Growth
Growth Rate: 1.897% (2010 est.) Rank: 66
Birth Rate: 28.74 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 50
Death Rate: 9.13 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Rank: 79
Net Migration Rate: -0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 109
Urbanization
Urban Population: 50% of total population (2008)
Rate of Urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Life and Death
Infant Mortality Rate: 51.18 deaths/1,000 live births Rank: 50
Life Expectancy at Birth: 60.1 years Rank: 185
Fertility Rate: 3.57 children born/woman (2010 est.) Rank: 52
Health and Disease
HIV/AIDS - Adult Prevalence Rate: 1.9% (2007 est.) Rank: 33
People living with HIV/AIDS: 260,000 (2007 est.) Rank: 27
HIV/AIDS Deaths: 21,000 (2007 est.) Rank: 22
Degree of Risk for Major Infectious Diseases: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne Diseases: malaria
Water Contact Diseases: schistosomiasis
Respiratory Disease: meningococcal meningitis
Animal Contact Diseases: rabies
Nationality and Culture
Noun: Ghanaian(s)
Adjective: Ghanaian
Ethnic Groups: Akan 45.3%, Mole-Dagbon 15.2%, Ewe 11.7%, Ga-Dangme 7.3%, Guan 4%, Gurma 3.6%, Grusi 2.6%, Mande-Busanga 1%, other tribes 1.4%, other 7.8% (2000 census)
Religion: Christian 68.8% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 24.1%, Protestant 18.6%, Catholic 15.1%, other 11%), Muslim 15.9%, traditional 8.5%, other 0.7%, none 6.1% (2000 census)
Languages: Asante 14.8%, Ewe 12.7%, Fante 9.9%, Boron (Brong) 4.6%, Dagomba 4.3%, Dangme 4.3%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.7%, Akyem 3.4%, Ga 3.4%, Akuapem 2.9%, other 36.1% (includes English (official)) (2000 census)
Education
Literacy (Meaning, age 15 and over can read and write): 57.9% Male: 66.4% Female: 49.8% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): 9 years Male: 10 years Female: 9 years (2007)
Education expenditures: 5.4% of GDP (2005) Rank: 53
Government
Country Name
Conventional Long Form: Republic of Ghana
Conventional Short Form: Ghana
Formerly: Gold Coast
Government Type: constitutional democracy
Capital: Accra Geographic Coordinates: 5 33 N, 0 13 W
Administrative divisions
10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western
Independence: 6 March 1957 (from the UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 March (1957)
Constitution: approved 28 April 1992
Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive Branch
Chief of State: President John Evans Atta MILLS (since 7 January 2009); Vice President John Dramani MAHAMA (since 7 January 2009); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of Government: President John Evans Atta MILLS (since 7 January 2009); Vice President John Dramani MAHAMA (since 7 January 2009)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; president nominates members subject to approval by Parliament
Elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held on 7 and 28 December 2008 (next to be held on 7 December 2012)
Election Results: John Evans Atta MILLS elected president in run-off election; percent of vote - John Evans Atta MILLS 50.23%, Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO 49.77%
Legislative Branch
unicameral Parliament (230 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held on 7 December 2008 (next to be held on 7 December 2012)
Election Results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDC 114, NPP 107, PNC 2, CPP 1, independent 4, other 2
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Politics
Political Parties and Leaders: Convention People's Party or CPP [Ladi NYLANDER]; Democratic Freedom Party or DFP [Alhaji Abudu Rahman ISSAKAH]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE; Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Dan LARTEY]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Kwabena ADJEI]; New Patriotic Party or NPP [Peter MAC-MANU]; People's National Convention or PNC [Alhaji Amed RAMADAN]; Reform Party [Kyeretwie OPUKU]; United Renaissance Party or URP [Charles WAYO]
Political Pressure Groups and Leaders: Christian Aid (water rights); Committee for Joint Action or CJA (education reform); National Coalition Against the Privatization of Water or CAP (water rights); Oxfam (water rights); Public Citizen (water rights); Students Coalition Against EPA [Kwabena Ososukene OKAI] (education reform); Third World Network (education reform)
International Organization Participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF (associate member), OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Flag Description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green, with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; red symbolizes the blood shed for independence, yellow represents the country's mineral wealth, while green stands for its forests and natural wealth; the black star is said to be the lodestar of African freedom
Note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Bolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band
Economy
Economy Overview: Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly twice the per capita output of the poorest countries in West Africa. Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and technical assistance. Gold and cocoa production and individual remittances are major sources of foreign exchange. Oil production is expected to expand in late 2010 or early 2011. The domestic economy continues to revolve around agriculture, which accounts for more than a third of GDP and employs more than half of the work force, mainly small landholders. Ghana signed a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact in 2006, which aims to assist in transforming Ghana's agricultural sector. Ghana opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program in 2002, and is also benefiting from the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative that took effect in 2006. Thematic priorities under its current Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy, which also provides the framework for development partner assistance, are: macroeconomic stability; private sector competitiveness; human resource development; and good governance and civic responsibility. Sound macro-economic management along with high prices for gold and cocoa helped sustain GDP growth in 2008 and 2009.
Gross Domestic Product
GDP (purchasing power parity): $35.83 billion (2009 est.) Rank: 100
GDP - real growth rate: 3.5% (2009 est.) Rank: 55
GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,500 (2009 est.) Rank: 199
GDP - Composition by Sector: Agriculture: 33.6% Industry: 25.1% Services: 41.2% (2006 est.)
Labor Force
Labor Force: 10.33 million (2009 est.) Rank: 47
Labor force - by occupation: Agriculture: 56% Industry: 15% Services: 29% (2005 est.)
Unemployment Rate: 11% (2000 est.) Rank: 123
Poverty
Population below poverty line: 28.5% (2007 est.)
Transnational Issues
International Disputes: Ghana struggles to accommodate returning nationals who worked in the cocoa plantations and escaped fighting in Cote d'Ivoire
Refugees and internally displaced persons - refugees (country of origin): 35,653 (Liberia); 8,517 (Togo) (2007)
