Lancaster University Ghana student delivers ‘life saving’ project
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Faridah Ndahura, 42, who lives in Accra in Ghana, has recently led the ‘Impact Project’ to completion, delivering a host of lifesaving benefits to the Community-based Health and Planning Service compound in Kangba, Ghana.
Before this, the healthcare centre did not have access to electricity - despite being the primary healthcare provider to the local community.
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Hide AdFardiah, who is currently in the final year of her EMBA programme, says the project was conceived from an assignment she was set as part of the Business Ethics and Sustainability module of the Executive MBA programme, delivered by Lancaster University Management School’s Dr Alison Stowell.
“I was required to submit a report on a project that would deliver impact and we were asked to select something that meant something to us or our organisations,” said Faridah, who is the CEO of Ashfar Ltd, a Ghanaian company that specialises in generating power from sustainable sources.
“I chose to look at the health centre and focused on rural electrification because it is my professional area of interest.
“However, we also found out that the community centre had no delivery beds for mothers that came to give birth and nowhere to store medical supplies safely, so the scope of the real-life project increased from the initial electrification I focused on in my studies to include the refrigerator, medical supplies and beds.”
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Hide AdFaridah assumed the role of ‘project lead’ and mobilised funding from companies to help the team achieve their ambitions.
“The result is the health centre is now the ‘go-to’ place for more than 125,000 people - but mothers and infants are the primary beneficiaries,” Faridah said.
“As we all witnessed at the commissioning of the health centre recently, the project is certainly a lifesaving one. Community leaders are grateful for the lives that will be saved and families are grateful for the journeys they don’t have to undertake in search of a health centre with medical supplies.”
Dr Alison Stowell from LUMS said: “I am thrilled at what Faridah has achieved. The fact that our impact project design is going to be used a model template for future projects at her organisation means the impact may well continue for years to come.”
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Hide AdFaridah enrolled on Lancaster’s EMBA as she says its design helps her to achieve a good ‘life-work-school balance’.
“I looked around and the Lancaster EMBA was the best in Ghana and its global ranking was an important factor too. It’s convenient location also afforded me a life-work-school balance.
“My journey on the EMBA has been interesting so far. I’ve had a lot of ‘firsts’ – all of them life-impacting.”
The sense of satisfaction from completing the project has had a lasting effect on Faridah and has left both her and her company hungry for more.
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Hide Ad“I feel a renewed sense of assurance that a small contribution towards humanity can go a long way," she said.
"To see the completion of the project has energised our efforts to do more, not only for the less privileged, but also for the environment through renewable energy advocacy and deployment."