Banku and Okro stew

Ingredients

Banku

-3 cups of corn dough

-2 cups of cassava dough

Salt to taste

Okro Stew

-3 cups of chopped okro

-2 cups garden eggs (chopped)-optional

Palm oil

– Momoni (Salted fish) -optional

-4 medium pieces of smoked salmon

-2 large smoked cowhide/wele

4 large crabs

2 large onions

4 medium sized tomatoes (chopped) – optional

Pepper, ginger, garlic and onion mix (blended together)

Salt to taste

Preparation

Banku

-Three parts of corn dough with two part cassava dough.

-Add some water until the mixture is slightly thick.

-Put it on high heat until the mixture starts to boil and thickens.

-Take a spatula and knead the mixture until the texture is evenly distributed.

-Keep kneading to prevent the dough from forming little hard lumps.

-When your banku is ready, roll into balls and wrap with rubber. Keep them in an air tight container to keep them warm and fresh.

Note: You can test if your banku is ready by putting a little water in the palm of your hand and touch the banku. If it does not stick to your palm it’s ready.

OKRO STEW

-Heat palm oil in a pan and add your sliced onions and momoni. Stir until onions are slightly brown.

-Add pepper and blended ginger, garlic and onion. Allow to simmer.

-Take a clean pan and put in your chopped okro, add water and cook for about eight minutes.

-Check on your simmering sauce and add tomatoes and garden eggs, if you opted for it.

-Add your smoked salmon, cooked wele (it must be precooked to soften it) and crabs. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

-Pour in your cooked okro and stir to mix evenly. Add salt to taste. Allow to simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.

-Okro stew is ready. It can be enjoyed with rice or kenkey. But best served with banku.

Malnutrition in Ghana: A policy crisis hiding in plain sight

Let's fight malnutrition in Ghana

For many Ghanaians, “malnutrition” is often misunderstood as simply a lack of food. But nutrition experts say the reality is far more complex and far more urgent. It is not just about being hungry. It’s about not getting the right nutrients at the right time, especially for children under five and pregnant women. While the consequences are dire, the real danger lies in how little political attention the issue receives.

According to the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, 12 per cent of children are underweight, and 6 per cent suffer from wasting, the most life-threatening form of malnutrition. Meanwhile, anaemia affects nearly 50 per cent of women of reproductive age, increasing risks during pregnancy and childbirth.

Nutrition interventions, like vitamin supplementation, school feeding, and treatment for severe malnutrition, are essential to saving lives and securing a healthy population. Yet only 0.4 per cent of the national health budget is allocated to nutrition-specific interventions. Many programs are heavily reliant on foreign aid, which is not only unsustainable but risky. The recent withdrawal of USAID support left a $156 million funding gap, threatening the availability of life-saving nutrition and health services.

The economic cost of this crisis is staggering. Ghana loses an estimated GH₵4.6 billion annually due to the long-term effects of malnutrition on productivity, education, and healthcare. Children who are stunted are more likely to struggle in school, earn less as adults, and suffer from chronic illnesses, all of which lock families into cycles of poverty.

But Ghana can reverse this trajectory. The experience of countries like Rwanda and Peru shows that with strong political commitment, dedicated budget lines, and multisectoral coordination, nutrition outcomes can improve dramatically.

That’s where the Nourish Ghana Project comes in. Led by Women, Media and Change (WOMEC) Organisation, the project aims to raise awareness and push for policy reform through advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and media mobilisation.