Two hundred (200) cocoa growing communities across five districts in the Western Region are to benefit from a US$900,000 three-year project, designed to lift women farmers out of poverty and improve child’s social protection.
The beneficiary districts are Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai, Sefwi-Wiawso, Juaboso, Bodie and Asawinso
Cargill is providing the funding for the “Prosper Project” through Care International, Ghana.
It involves leadership and vocational training, construction and refurbishment of school structures, good nutrition and community development.
Speaking at the formal launch of the project at Bibiani, Mr. Samuel Apana, Deputy Sustainability Country Lead, said it tied in with the company’s effort of helping to transform the lives of people in cocoa farming areas.
He said the interest of the farmer was and would always remain at the heart of its thinking and activities.
He underlined the determination of Cargill to continue to do everything it could to make sure that there was farmer education to aid them to adopt best practices.
Dr. Theophilus Nkansah, the Project Manager, said the expectation was that there would be enhanced women’s participation in the decision-making process and increased access to education in the communities.
He indicated that they would be working closely with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Food and Agriculture Ministry, to promote good nutrition.
The people would be supported to establish kitchen gardens and community health volunteers trained, to assist fight malnutrition.
He called for the district assemblies to give strong backing to the project to ensure its success – transform the lives of the people.
Care, an NGO, has over past 23 years been working in the area of forest governance in the country.
