TILAPIA FARM   From our inception, NAFofA and NAF Ghana have been committed to becoming self-reliant and self-sustaining by having a business in Ghana to support our organizations. The business we are starting is a fish farm in the Akosombo district of Ghana. The farm is owned by NAFofA with NAF Ghana responsible for the in country oversight. The farm will produce tilapia for both the local and international (African) markets. The farm will grow fry and fingerlings in ponds. The fish will then be transferred to cages in the Volta River to grow to market size. From egg to market sized fish will be an 8-9 month season. With proper management, each crop of fish will be profitable. Initially, the farm profits will be used for expansion. Once the farm is at optimal size, one hundred percent of the profits will be used to fund our existing orphanage and additional non-profit purposes.   We will be a socially responsible company as demonstrated by: We will employ local peoples (adults only) providing much needed employment. There is a 35-40% unemployment rate in Ghana. We will pay a living wage to our employees. We will pay into the Ghanaian social security system to provide a pension for our employees once they retire. We will pay the Ghanaian National Health Insurance premium for our employees and their immediate family members. When at optimal size, 100% of the profits will be used to support our social programs in Ghana.   We will share our farm design to encourage other businesses to use passive cooling and low energy options. The following are the planned architectural and environmental features of our farm: The farm will use passive and low energy cooling. Farm buildings will have a second roof above the first roof. This second roof will provide shade and support solar panels. This roof may be thatched and/or made of living plants. Farm buildings will be open sided when feasible. The kitchen, lunchroom, hatchery, guard house, tool shed, salt house and smoke house will all be open sided. Where pests are an issue (kitchen, salt and smoke houses), the sides will be enclosed with mosquito netting. Farm buildings will be made “breathable” by using bamboo or wood available locally. Again, where pests are an issue, the sides will be enclosed with mosquito netting. Windows and doors will be placed to allow for maximum airflow. Only fans will be used inside the buildings. No air conditioning units will be installed. The farm will use renewable energy sources and remain off the grid. Solar energy will be used for all electrical power usages. Roofing panels will be translucent to allow natural lighting. Solar energy will be used for pumping the water from the river for both the ponds and human uses. Rainwater will be collected to minimize the amount of water pumped for human usage. No water composting toilets will be used. The compost will be used on the farm’s vegetable garden. The fish parts not consumed (intestines and scales) will be composted also. The farm design will be shared with other fish farms; the Ghanaian Water Research Institute; the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology architectural department; the Ghana Aquaculture Association and anyone interested in energy efficient and sustainable design. Nile Tilapia is native to the Volta River; the farm will grow no exotic species. Tilapia is an excellent source of protein and a renewable natural resource. The farm will adhere to all Ghanaian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards as well as the best practices for tilapia farming as proposed by the World Wildlife Fund.   In addition to the NAF Ghana board oversight, NAFofA will also oversee the farm. During the farm construction and startup a NAFofA board representative, Florence Clark, will live in Ghana for at least 9 months of the year to oversee the initial construction and cash flow. She will be responsible for sending monthly progress reports to the board as a whole. Once the construction and startup are completed, quarterly and annual reports will be required of the farm manager with annual site visits by a NAFofA board representative.   NAF Ghana will be responsible for verifying the quarterly and annual reports; working with the farm manager to determine salaries, prices, markets etc.; and determining what projects are supported by the profits of the farm. NAFofA and NAF Ghana will together decide when total control can be turned over to NAF Ghana.   For further information use the contact us page. We’ll gladly answer any questions you may have.