| Organization's name: | Organization for Livelihood Enhancement Services |
| Organization's acronym: | OLIVES |
| Headquarters address | |
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| Address: |
Agona-Nkwanta P.O. Box AX 1086 Takoradi Ghana |
| Phone: | +233312296730 |
| Email: | olives.gh@yahoo.com |
| Web site: | www.olivesgh.org |
| Organization type: | Non-governmental organization |
| Languages: |
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| Areas of expertise & Fields of activity: |
Gender Issues and Advancement of Women:
Public Administration:
Social Development:
Sustainable Development:
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| Geographic scope: |
Local
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| Country of activity: |
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| Millennium Development Goals: |
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| Mission statement: | |
| Year established (YYYY): | 2009 |
| Year of registration (YYYY): | 2009 |
| Organizational structure: | OLIVES is governed by a 7-member board of directors that appoint the Executive Director. The Executive Director is the administrative head of the organisation exercising oversight responsibilities. Below the Director are two Program Coordinators - one for Community Development and the other for the Agricultural Improvement and Land Access Program (AILAP). These exercise oversight responsibilities over all other staff in the organisation. A number of Technical Officers also report to these Coordinators and are the next in line on the Organogram. These include the Technical Officers for the Mobrowa and AILAP programs; the Technical officer (Agricultural Development); the Finance and Administration Officer; the Program Officer (Community Development); and the Business Development Officer. These line Officers coordinate among themselves and supervise community development officers and agricultural development officers for successful program implementation. The Community/Agricultural Development Officers are next in line and serve as the main field officers for the implementation of program activities. Beneath the Field Officers are Administrative Staff including Account Assistant, Front Desk Officer, Drivers, Kitchen Staff, Cleaners and Security personnel. All personnel collaborate to achieve the aims of OLIVES. |
| Number and type of members: | Board of Directors: 7 Executive Director: 1 Technical Officers: 20 Administrative Officers: 9 |
| Affiliation with NGO networks: | The Western Region Development Network of NGOs (WERENGO) |
| Funding structure: |
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| Funding structure other: | Funding from Cooperate Bodies e.g Newmont Golden Ridge Limited |
| Major group affiliation: |
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| Affiliation with other organizations: | The Western Region Development Network of NGOs (WERENGO) |
| Affiliation with other organizations: | The Western Region Development Network of NGOs (WERENGO) |
| Purpose of the organization: | OLIVES seeks to empower the rural poor and disadvantaged by providing the means, strategies and products that enhance their economic and social endeavors and assist them to face challenging situations with enthusiasm. Our work is geared towards supporting the attainment of the United Nation’s millennium Development Goals |
| Confirmation of the activities of the organization at the regional, national or international level: | OLIVES is working to make agricultural production more sustainable, and to increase the income and improve the position of small producers in agricultural change. As part of this we are making farmers more resistant to the consequences of climate change. In the chains, OLIVES is supporting farmer organizations in improving agricultural production and in making their working methods both more professional and more sustainable. OLIVES is also supporting chain platforms in which all chain actors participate. OLIVES works to ensure the poor access to sustainable financial products and services on a fair footing through local micro financing institutions (MFIs). OLIVES sees micro financing as a strategy to improve the socio-economic position of poor, vulnerable and/or excluded groups in society by increasing their access to adequate and affordable financial and other related services. This will contribute to their ability to support themselves and increase their participation in society and their empowerment. OLIVES is deeply committed to supporting sustainable economic development. We recognize that a competitive and vibrant private sector remains the primary driver of poverty reduction, wealth creation, employment and access to important goods and services for many of the world’s poor. We work with entrepreneurs, businesses, investors, governments and non-government organizations to improve private sector competitiveness, enhance market and business performance, and create the conditions for pro-poor and sustainable growth. We provide services to improve economic governance, develop sector strategies, strengthen the business enabling environment and promote trade. We support poorer households and communities to benefit from local, regional and international economic opportunity by understanding how markets affect them as entrepreneurs, suppliers, consumers and employees. We apply the Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) approach which identifies the underlying causes, instead of symptoms, of why markets do not work for the poor and provide support for businesses to unlock the potential for growth that benefits the poor. OLIVES perceives good health as the center of sustainable development. Good health is at the center of wellbeing, and is vital for everything else we hold dear. Good health aids humanity particularly, children to not only survive disease, but also to flourish, learn, and make their way through school and on to adulthood and the labor force. It also enables a workforce to be productive. Thus, good health enhances the ability of a community to develop human capital, undertake economic activities, and attract investment. This is the essence of OLIVES’ focus on health as an important thematic area with emphasis on HIV/AIDS, Water and Environmental Sanitation/Hygiene, Sexual and Reproductive Health. |
| A list of members of the governing body of the organization, and their countries of nationality: | The Board of Directors is as follows: MOSES EKOW OGOE - Executive Director and Founder of the Organization for Livelihood Enhancement Services (OLIVES) and Skilimit Financial Services Ltd: Ghanaian DAVID FAMIYEH YANKEY - A Commodity Chain and Linkages Specialist with IFAD funded Root and Tuber Improvement and Marketing Program (RTIMP): Ghanaian MERCY QUANSAH - Member of International Development Evaluation Association (IDEAS): Ghanaian HENRY BAFFOUR YANKSON - Executive Director and founder of Foundation of Action Development: Ghanaian JOHN KWAMINA GYIMAH - Regional Agricultural Extension Officer of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Western Region: Ghanaian REV. JOHN KOFI FRENCH - An Educationist, a Development Planner and Circuit Minister with the Methodist Church of Ghana stationed in Kumasi: Ghanaian YAW OSEI-OWUSU - Country Director at Conservation Alliance - Ghana: Ghanaian. |
| Description of the membership of the organization, indicating the total number of members: | The organisation is made of 30 staff headed by the Executive Director who holds an MPhil from the University of Cape Coast (and a doctoral candidate from the same University). It also has 20 Technical Staff with at least University Degrees having much experience in their requisite fields of work. OLIVES also has 9 administrative staff who assist in the day to day running or the organisation. |
| Affiliation with other organizations: | The Western Region Development Network of NGOs (WERENGO) |
| Major group affiliation: | Non-governmental Orgnizations |
| Affiliation with other organizations: | The Western Region Development Network of NGOs (WERENGO) |
| Affiliation with UN bodies: | OLIVES is a registered member of the United Nations’ Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations of the Department of Public Information (DPI) |
| Involvement in Public Administration: | Improving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable requires that governments have the capacity to deliver essential services. The Organization for Livelihood Enhancement Services’ (OLIVES) approach to development recognizes that effective state institutions are necessary to ensure that people’s lives are improved with better services, ranging from health to education to security to job creation. For OLIVES, this means improving the supply of services from government institutions, empowering citizens and civil society to hold government to account and demand better service delivery and the protection of their rights, and improving government responsiveness to these citizen demands. |