Other KVNC-USA Projects, Plans and Accomplishments

Education and self-sufficiency are the primary mission of KVNC-USA.  However, we have also tried to meet other village needs.  In 2007 we responded to a shortage of safe drinking water.  In 2008 we obtained surgery for a young boy with a serious cleft palate.  In 2008 and 2009, the graduated scholars painted the Kuntu primary school building which had not been painted for 50 years and the Kuntu nursery school.  To see more of these projects click the above links or items on the left side menu.

School Supplies.  The Kuntu Village Nkosohen Committee-USA was founded by Dr. Perry Kirklin in August 2002 after he had been enstooled as Kuntu Nkosohene, i.e. Kuntu Chief for Development.  Prior to the enstoolment, Dr. Kirklin and his family and friends had donated school supplies to Nana Brebo, chief of Kuntu, for several years.  School supplies for Kuntu is an on-going activity of KVNC-USA.  In 2004, with the help of USAID and the U.S. Department of Defense, a 20-foot ship container with donations including over 1000 middle school science text books, laboratory equipment, notebooks, pens, pencils, desks, furniture, computers, etc. were shipped to Kuntu.

Every year various school supplies are sent to Kuntu.  More computers were sent in 2007 and for security, were installed in the chief's home.  Mr. Kennedy Owoo, an Information Communication Technology (ICT) specialist, installed the computers and taught an 8-week training course for the JHS faculty.   In 2009, the Kuntu JHS library was upgraded for better security and the computers installed in the converted JHS computer room.  An additional printer and computer projector were given to the Kuntu JHS ICT program.

Projects we are currently working on:

Kuntu Village Nurse Post. Health care is a major problem in Kuntu and will be the next major project for KVNC-USA.  Kuntu is over 2 miles from the main road and about 10 miles to the nearest hospital in Saltpond.  Since no one in the village owns a car, in case of serious injury or illness, it is necessary to call to Saltpond for a taxi.  Malaria is very common and "taken for granted".   The Mfantsman Municipal Director of Health is committed to providing a nurse to be stationed in Kuntu if an acceptable facility is available.  Kuntu will need to construct a suitable building containing basic medical equipment and minimum living quarters.  Kuntu village Nkosohen Committee-USA will partner with Bucks County Chapter of Links, Inc. for the Kuntu village nurse post.  Dr. Versie Johnson-Mallard, a board certified Womens' Health Nurse Practitioner at the University of South Florida has worked on similar projects in Panama (Central America) has volunteered to help our planning efforts.

In February 2011, African Footprints International, a Danish NGO that has a day care and a women training project in Pebi (a sub-village of Kuntu) proposed to build a nurse clinic in Kuntu.  Construction has started but the clinic does not include nurse quarters.  The KVNC-USA project was to have a full-time community nurse to treat sickness, injuries and diseases in addition to pre-natal, delivery and baby care.  Therefore, KVNC-USA and Bucks County Chapter of Links, Inc. will focus on adding nurse living living quarters to the clinic.  Nana Amoesi, a retired Kuntu sub-chief with construction management experience, has designed nurse quarters adjacent to the African Footprint clinic.  There is ample room on the nurse clinic site for both buildings.  The nurse quarters would use the same water and sewage facilities as the clinic.  KVNC-USA needs approximately $10,000 to compliment the Bucks County Links commitment in order to construct the nurse living quarters.

Kuntu-based Taxi.  Kuntu villagers have limited access to jobs and services outside of the village, e.g., medical care.  Kuntu is 6 kilometers from the main road.  To leave the village, most villagers walk the over 2 miles to the main road to catch a trop-trop, the local minibuses.  Trop-trops do not come or pass through Kuntu.  Because there are no automobiles in Kuntu, in case of a medical or health emergency, villagers call for a taxi from Saltpond.  Limited contacts outside the village also contributes to the illiteracy since there is no incentive to speak or understand English in the village.   KVNC-USA has proposed a for-profit Kuntu taxi business.  In addition to providing more convenient access to jobs and services outside of Kuntu, the taxi business will earn money for Kuntu development projects.

Fares for the Kuntu-based taxi business would be the same as other taxi fares in the region.  It is anticipated that the majority of trips will be between the village and the main road.  There would also be frequent trips to Saltpond, including the Saltpond hospital; the Mankessim market; and the businesses and services in Cape Coast, the closest major city.  The Kuntu-based taxi business would belong to the KVNC-USA non-profit corporation with all profits going to Kuntu  development projects.  An investment of approximately $12,000 would be needed to form the Kuntu Taxi Company.